


kismet

by fromzerohs (greymooses)



Series: kismet-verse [2]
Category: Monsta X (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Veterinarians, Light Angst, Long-Distance Relationship, M/M, POV Alternating, Slice of Life, Slow Burn, Strangers to Lovers, Texting, a kitten is instrumental to the plot, tags are also a wip, techs!kihyuk, there are dogs, vets!wonkyun
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-04
Updated: 2019-10-18
Packaged: 2020-10-06 19:30:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 27,304
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20512304
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/greymooses/pseuds/fromzerohs
Summary: changkyun will wonder, years later, how one small kitten brought so much love into his life.minhyuk will say she carried it with her trunk.(that au where changkyun is an emergency vet who finds a sick kitten on vacation, brings it to hoseok, and his entire world is turned upside down.)[6/28/20 - discontinued, but the last chapter basically serves as a decent ending anyway.]





	1. elephant herds are matriarchal

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> here we gooooo oh god this is now a series. i'm a vet med nerd and i am very sorry.

it's 11 am on a friday and kihyun is crouched on the floor in changkyun’s kitchen. he’s dressed in an oversized sweater and what he refers to as his laundry day jeans — ripped to hell and back, stained across the left thigh with what changkyun thinks might be worming medication — with his arms firmly encircling the neck of his favorite of changkyun's dogs.

"changkyun, go. we'll be fine." he's making soft noises at the rhodesian against his chest. "won't we, saja? yes, we'll be just fine with kihyunnie because we're such a good girl."

changkyun watches saja's tail thump happily against the tile and rolls his eyes. "you do know you have to pay attention to the other two, right?"

kihyun gasps. "tokki and stitch _love_ me," he protests.

"they love the homemade dog treats you make them,” changkyun pokes at his friend’s pride. “i'm not sure those two are capable of loving humans as more than food sources."

"you should be nicer to someone who house sits for free every time you go away."

"i have to spend hours rearranging my kitchen every time i come home."

"it's the most inefficient kitchen setup i've ever seen, i— oh my god, get out." kihyun waves a hand at him, then buries his face in saja’s neck.

"thanks, hyung,” he says, grabbing his wallet and keys out of the bowl on the counter. "eat something before you start in on the cabinets."

"stop stalling and remember i'm older than you."

changkyun offers one last goodbye to saja, bows to kihyun for good measure, and swings into the living room to pet his boys. he calls out “i’m off, don’t burn down my house” as he slips on his shoes at the door, grabs his overnight bag, and exits into the garage.

~

in university, one of changkyun's most beloved mentors tried to talk him out of going into emergency medicine.

_“it’s stressful, changkyunnie. most people don’t last that long before they have to retire to smaller practices. i don’t want you to dull your brilliant mind. what about research or teaching?”_

changkyun took their opinion under advisement and wrestled with the decision for a short time. it was ultimately kihyun — a gifted but obstinate technician at the emergency practice where he was interning at the time — who convinced him to ignore the advice.

_“fuck them,” kihyun slurs. he points a finger at changkyun. “you know what? you’re too good for research or teaching full-time. my advisor thought going for two specializations was dumb, but guess who gets to do something different every day and is good at all of it?”_

_changkyun laughs and pours him another shot. they clink their glasses together, then empty them._

_“this guy,” kihyun says, pointing a thumb at himself and slamming the glass down on the table. “what’s the fucking point if you’re not doing what you love?”_

changkyun learned two things that night: enough soju can make friends out of most enemies, and alcohol is not meant to enter your nasal cavity.

he knew this was the career he wanted, for as long as he could handle it. nothing has felt as satisfying to him in the past few years as watching animals walk out of the clinic after being carried in, or removing an obstruction and watching tissue come back to life, or rebuilding broken bones with pieces of titanium.

he is absolutely addicted to speaking the unique language of sick pets and making them healthy again. nevertheless, burnout is a very real thing he doesn't want to deal with at twenty-seven, so he takes weekend trips. they're a good opportunity to get out of the city and clear his head.

which is how he finds himself in the bushes in front of a strip mall two hours outside seoul, trying to grab a late lunch before checking into his hotel, but face to face with a miserable, filthy kitten instead.

the kitten can't be more than five weeks old. he thinks she might be a calico, but it's hard to tell with all the dirt. she's listless, letting him poke and prod, but giving him small meows like she wants to fight, and he can't help but be charmed. a quick pinch behind her scruff confirms that she's dehydrated.

changkyun sighs. he scans the area around the bushes and finds no other kittens and no sign of an adult cat, so he unbuttons his jacket, carefully scoops her up and cradles her against his chest.

in his car, he turns on his location, sends it to kihyun, and taps out a text message with one hand.

\----------

to: ki-hyung (13:15)  
_hyung, i found a kitten :( can you find a clinic for me?_

from: ki-hyung (13:15)  
_how does this always happen to you? why do you always leave your emergency bag at home?_

to: ki-hyung (13:16)  
_:(((_

from: ki-hyung (13:16)  
_give me a sec_

to: ki-hyung (13:16)  
_bc if i bring it it’s not a very good vacation_

to: ki-hyung (13:17)  
_ty_

\----------

while he waits for a reply, he pours some water into an empty plastic bottle’s cap and holds it up to the kitten's mouth; she paws at it and turns her head into his shirt.

\----------

from: ki-hyung (13:19)  
_there’s a clinic a few blocks away and the guy seems solid. 514 main._

to: ki-hyung (13:20)  
_ty_

from: ki-hyung (13:21)  
_good luck. let me know if you need me to send a copy of your license._

\----------

changkyun enters the address into his phone. as promised, it’s only a few blocks away. the roads are quiet, so he drives with one hand on the wheel and the other on the kitten.

one right turn and a stoplight brings him to another strip mall. this one is occupied by a laundromat, a chinese restaurant, a small convenience store, and a run down looking office with "veterinary hospital" across the front windows. he parks in front of the hospital entrance, next to a nondescript hyundai that could clearly use a bath.

he could kill kihyun.

he debates calling to complain, but a tiny meow reminds him why he's here. he pockets his phone and keys and gets out, careful not to jostle the kitten too much. there are no hours posted that he can see, but the lights are on inside, so he pushes open the door.

the space is bigger than it looks, and painted in calming shades of blue. there is a small waiting area to one side, with a long bench built into the wall and a few more comfortable chairs scattered around a black coffee table with rounded edges.

"can i help you?"

changkyun turns towards the voice, calling from the other side of the room. a reception desk sits behind a half-wall made of frosted glass.

"i found a kit—" he starts, and stops when he sees two men at the desk: a blond in a chair behind it like a normal person, and a brunet perched atop the counter. the blond has his phone in his hands, thumbs poised like he was typing, but is looking between changkyun and the brunet with something just short of a grin.

"i found a kitten," he tries again, looking down at her and gesturing to his jacket. "she's young and dehydrated and i didn't see any sign of the rest of her litter or her mom," he rambles. the brunet is wearing a _very_ tight red sweater, accentuating some very thick arms and a chest basically meant for napping on, and changkyun maybe is having trouble remembering how to function. "i'm supposed to be on vacation," he adds, mentally smacking himself for how stupid it sounds.

the men have a short, unspoken conversation, during which changkyun covertly snaps what he hopes is a photo of the brunet.

for yelling at kihyun, and only yelling at kihyun.

he waits, watching the two make faces at each other. as he debates making sure he got a photo of the man and not the wall, the blond goes back to tapping away at his phone and the brunet turns to face him with a soft smile.

"i'm hoseok," he announces, standing and walking towards changkyun. "you can come with me."

he leads changkyun around the corner from the waiting area and into a small exam room. changkyun stands in the doorway and watches as he flips on the light, rolls a stool from the opposite corner to the exam table, and takes a seat. changkyun steps into the room and closes the door. hoseok holds a button on the wall until the table is lowered into his lap and rests his elbows on it. "you need to put her down if you want me to take care of her," he tells changkyun, opening his hands and wiggling his fingers, and something about it irks him.

_you never said you're a veterinarian, you idiot._

kihyun is never going to let him live this down.

changkyun wants to explain that he doesn’t need a full exam, but he can't think of the right words because he is very gay, very single, and this doctor is very hot, so he resigns himself to the fact that he’ll be paying for an exam he doesn’t need.

“you're going to be okay, sweetheart," he whispers, opening his jacket and placing the kitten on the table. he cages her with his hands out of habit, even though she makes no effort to explore.

hoseok begins a basic exam, poking and prodding in the same way changkyun did when he found her. he makes a thoughtful noise every now and again. changkyun is distracted by his eyelashes fluttering on his cheeks.

"sir?"

changkyun blinks himself out of his trance and catches a smirk. "sorry, what?"

doctor hot arms darts his tongue out to lick his lips, which seems very unnecessary to changkyun, and borderline rude under most circumstances? changkyun doesn’t know anymore.

"i asked where you found her,” he repeats.

"oh. uh, in the bushes outside a strip mall a few blocks away. i was stopping to grab lunch."

hoseok removes his stethoscope from around his neck, inserts the ear pieces, and moves the instrument over the kitten's comparatively tiny chest. seemingly pleased, he removes the stethoscope and sets it aside. "how did you know she's dehydrated?"

changkyun knows now is the time. it's going to be weird at this point but he needs to say _something_. this man might be hot, but changkyun has worked too hard in his career to let this accidental charade continue.

"i'm a veterinarian, too. i work at an emergency clinic in seoul." he cringes at himself, watching hoseok's face change from calming bedside manner to suspicious. "i'm supposed to be on vacation," he repeats lamely, then stares at his fingers. "look, i can have my tech send a copy of my credentials if you want. could i just get some ringers, milk replacement, and a couple of cans of wet food? a b-complex shot would be great, too."

hoseok is combing through the kitten's fur with his fingertips, looking for fleas, changkyun presumes. he looks up, the corner of his mouth twitching. "what are you going to do with all that? aren't you on vacation?"

"i can bring her to my hotel. i didn't plan on leaving much anyway."

"she should really stay here so we can monitor her."

"don't take this the wrong way, but are you even equipped to do that?” changkyun shifts his weight, squares his shoulders. “do you know how many kittens like this i see every spring? let me buy some supplies. mark them up if you want. i'll bring her and the used needles back tomorrow so you can check her out again." 

hoseok abruptly pushes away from the exam table, clearing his throat as he turns on the sink and washes the dirt from his hands. “i’m going to send minhyuk in to get you entered into the system,” he announces, then leaves the room.

changkyun blinks, not sure what just happened. he pulls out his phone to complain to kihyun, but finds his camera open. _the photo_. he managed to get a decent one.

\----------

to: ki-hyung (13:45)  
_yoo kihyun_

from: ki-hyung (13:45)  
_?_

to: ki-hyung (13:46)  
_how much did you look up about this guy_

from: ki-hyung (13:46)  
_he’s licensed and his reviews are good?_  
_he’s owned his place for the last couple of years?_  
_why?_

to: ki-hyung (13:47)  
  
_because i walked in and that was sitting on the front desk_

from: ki-hyung (13:48)  
_… and?_

to: ki-hyung (13:49)  
_>.<_

from: ki-hyung (13:49)  
_¯\\_(ツ)_/¯_  
_this is where you would tell me “be gay do crimes” or something._

to: ki-hyung (13:50)  
_>>.<<_  
_i hate you._  
_tell saja i miss her._  
_and the boys, too._

\----------

~

minhyuk is, apparently, the name of the blond man that was out front when changkyun walked in. he’s taller and thinner than he looked behind the desk, and his energy reminds changkyun of saja’s when she was an untrained puppy. he’s added a pair of delicate, gold-framed glasses to his ensemble, and his unzipped hoodie reveals a scrub top covered in anthropomorphic carrots.

changkyun is baffled by how someone can look both fifty and twelve years old simultaneously. the kitten raises her head to look at the new person briefly, then drops it back to her paws.

“i heard you’re a veterinarian,” minhyuk sing-songs, shoving his hands in his pockets. there is a noise that changkyun suspects is a pen being clicked open and closed. “i have _so_ many questions. well, okay, i have two questions. why didn’t you say something when you walked in?”

the truth is that changkyun had a gay panic, but he can’t admit that, so he fumbles a lazy excuse instead. “it’s not exactly the first thing i announce when i walk into a room full of strangers.”

minhyuk throws his hands up and the clicking stops. “there were only two of us and we’re fellow medical professionals!”

“what’s the other question?”

minhyuk grins, and changkyun regrets asking. “taylor swift or brendon urie?”

changkyun raises an eyebrow. “excuse me?”

“have you not seen the _me!_ video?” minhyuk asks, incredulous, like changkyun has personally wounded him.

“what does this have to do with the kitten?”

“oh, absolutely nothing,” the blond sighs. he pulls a cloth headband out of his pocket, flips his head over, puts it on, and adjusts it before continuing. “i was just trying to see if you’re as gay as hoseok hyung wants you to be.”

changkyun is too dumbfounded to come up with a response. thankfully, minhyuk moves on.

“we’ll come back to it,” he says, grabbing a form and pen out of a drawer and sliding them across the exam table. “can you fill this out so i can enter everything?”

changkyun grabs the pen and starts filling in his personal information while minhyuk taps his fingers on the table in front of the kitten. “are you going to keep her?” he asks after a moment.

“i think so.”

“do you have other pets at home?”

“three dogs. my tech watches them when i go away.”

minhyuk hums thoughtfully, and they fall into silence while changkyun finishes scribbling his phone number and email address. he slides the paper and pen back across the table and redirects his attention to the kitten. he wishes they would just give her some fluids, or let him try some milk here, or anything really.

“what about hwasa or taemin?”

changkyun narrows his eyes at the side of minhyuk’s head. “you’re persistent,” he says, clipped.

“look, doctor, i’m good at reading people,” minhyuk explains as he types, not looking at changkyun. "you don’t have to answer me, but i thought you might want to.”

changkyun figures the best way to end this is to answer. “brendon and taemin, but those women have some amazing thighs.”

“thighs, huh? that’s respectable.” minhyuk grins.

“i’m pretty worried about her,” changkyun sighs, gesturing to the table. “do you think we can move this along?”

“will you get us a copy of your credentials for our records? you can have your tech email it to the address on here.” minhyuk hands him a business card with the clinic email on it.

“yeah, sure. let me go call him,” changkyun says.

he steps out of the room and calls kihyun, who thankfully picks up. he talks him through finding the copy of his license that he keeps at home and rattles off the email address on the card. a few minutes later, everything has been sent. changkyun thanks him, promises to call back that night, and steps back inside.

minhyuk is bent over the table, head on his outstretched arm, looking at the kitten. she’s half heartedly licking at some wet food on a tongue depressor while he strokes her head with a single finger. changkyun has to admit it’s kind of cute, and maybe the guy isn’t as horrible as he seems.

“you should have an email with a copy of my license.”

“thank you. i wanted to see if she would eat a little bit; i think she’ll be just fine.” minhyuk straightens. “hoseok should be back any minute, but you can follow me out front. he’s going to let you take some supplies with you so you can treat her yourself. i have everything ready at the desk.”

changkyun is beyond relieved. he tucks the kitten back into his jacket and follows minhyuk out to reception.

~

after settling the surprisingly cheap bill — the receipt only says he was billed for an exam and a bag of fluids — minhyuk pulls a disposable litter box out from under the desk and changkyun almost chokes up. the box is full of goodies: a bag of fluids, a few needles, two iv tubes, two cans of milk replacement, two cans of wet kitten food, some disposable bowls, half a dozen tongue depressors, alcohol swabs, a large syringe, a few towels, a pill vial with "SHAMPOO" scribbled on the blank label, a surgical heating pad, and a small bag of litter that was clearly portioned off from their in-house supply.

changkyun is dumbfounded, but the man just smirks.

"please tell me you weren't lying and you do know what to do with all of this."

"i just didn't expect— thank you." he's annoyed the b-complex is in the bag instead of a straight injection, but he’s not willing to push his luck.

“come back any time tomorrow and we can squeeze you in, but we’ll be less busy after three if you don’t want to wait around.”

changkyun scribbles “after 3” on his receipt, and belatedly realizes the patient is listed as _im kokkili_. “kokkili?”

"hm?" minhyuk looks up. “cute, right? you can change it if you want, but i think she likes it. we had a conversation about it while you were on the phone with your friend.”

“a conversation.”

“yep.” minhyuk pulls out a large, opaque white bag and slips the litter box inside.

“she’s barely moving.”

“you should know better than most of our clients that moving and meowing can be done independently, doctor.”

changkyun's retort dies on his tongue when hoseok comes rushing in the front door with two takeout bags in his hands. _he went out for food? what the fuck?_

"oh, good, you're just finishing up?"

"yep! she ate a little bit, and we have a copy of changkyun's license." minhyuk reports.

"changkyun." hoseok repeats, and it's only then that changkyun realizes he never told the man his name. "nice to meet you." hoseok attempts to hold out a hand to shake before it occurs to him that both of his hands are full. "oh, right. this is for you. you mentioned you were stopping for lunch, and now you have this kitten you insist on taking care of on vacation despite my being right here, but you should eat," he rambles, and changkyun probably has the stupidest look on his face right now because what universe has he stepped into where the random veterinarian he had been making an ass of himself in front of for approximately twenty minutes _is bringing him lunch?_

"um, thanks?" changkyun says, fingers brushing hoseok’s as he takes the bag from him.

"let me help you," minhyuk interjects, picking up the bag of supplies. "unless you want to borrow a carrier?" he and hoseok share another quick look that changkyun can't decipher.

if he's honest, whatever hoseok got him smells delicious and all he can think about is getting fluid into the kitten then feeding himself.

"i think she's better off in my jacket."

minhyuk shrugs. he holds the door open for him, then follows him the few steps to his car.

"my keys are in my pocket."

minhyuk smirks, but nods and retrieves them without comment. he finds the unlock button and presses it, eliciting a happy chirp from changkyun's car.

"in the trunk, please."

"your wish is my command," he says and pops the trunk. changkyun directs him to put the bag on top of his small suitcase, then nestles the food next to it. he carefully closes the trunk and holds his palm out for his keys, which minhyuk hands over.

"thanks again. i'll bring everything back tomorrow."

"can i tell you a secret?"

changkyun nods.

"i saw you at a conference a couple years ago. i went to your talk on intestinal obstructions."

"okay?" changkyun has given a number of presentations at conferences over the years — it kind of comes with the territory — but has never been recognized because of it. he has no idea what kind of reaction minhyuk is fishing for.

"hoseok was there, too. i don't think he remembers you, but he respected you at the time." minhyuk scans him from top to bottom in an exaggerated manner. "despite your clothing choices, which i see have not changed."

"my clothing choices," changkyun repeats dumbly.

"good luck with miss kokkili. we'll see you tomorrow." minhyuk smiles wide, stepping back to the curb in front of the car.

changkyun thanks him again, awkwardly, because it's the right thing to do. when he closes his car door, minhyuk steps back inside the clinic, and he lets out a breath he didn't realize he'd been holding. he looks down in his jacket at the kitten to find her sleeping. with one hand, he pulls up his hotel reservation in his email on his phone and taps the address to start his gps.

~

the hotel gives him a bit of a hard time about an animal, but he speaks with the manager and the offer of an extra security deposit is enough to placate the man into letting changkyun bring the kitten in. it takes a few trips because he only has one hand free, but he finally gets his own suitcase, the bag of supplies, and the bag of food to his room.

still holding the kitten in his jacket, he grabs the towels minhyuk provided and builds a small nest in the bathtub. he places her in the middle of it, and she curls into a small ball. "just for a few minutes, baby," he tells her, or maybe himself.

he moves into the main room, tossing his phone and keys on the desk before stripping off his jacket and folding it. the inside is filthy, but he'll have to deal with it later. he pulls the litter box out and starts sorting everything into piles on the bed according to purpose: fluids, feeding, or cleaning.

he opts for giving the kitten fluids first, hopeful that it will make her a little more energetic and hungry. he has no idea how long she's been on her own, so even though she desperately needs a bath and it would be easier now, a bath can wait.

changkyun grabs a hanger from the closet, along with the bag of fluids, tubing, a needle and an alcohol swab. in the bathroom, the kitten is still curled up in the middle of the towels.

he opens the stopwatch on his phone and taps start. he rips open the iv tubing, spins the wheel to pinch the line shut, and pushes the drip mechanism into the port on the bag. he pops the plug cap off the other end of the tubing with one hand, bites the matching plug cap off the needle, pushes those together, and tosses both caps to the side. he bleeds the air out of the line, hangs the bag on the towel bar next to the bathtub, and hits stop: fifty-two seconds.

"i'm slower than i used to be," he whines to the kitten. "we can never tell kihyun, okay?"

he grabs the alcohol swab and lowers himself to the floor next to the tub. he separates her fur between her front shoulders, and cleans a small area of skin. "you're going to feel so much better," he tells her, speaking hushed nonsense as he gets the needle placed in the hollow space under her skin and the drip turned on. she meows at him, and turns her head into his palm where he has it gently held around her neck.

a few minutes, many quiet platitudes, and a dozen tiny meows later, she has a nice bump of fluid on her back and she's getting restless, so he closes the drip. he carefully removes the needle, caps it, and pinches the skin together while stroking her head like minhyuk did earlier.

"can you stay put while i get some food for you?" she nudges his hand again in response and he smiles.

the room thankfully has a microwave, which makes his life much easier. he gets a can of milk replacement from the bed, dumps some into a bowl, and puts it in the microwave to warm slightly. ten seconds later, changkyun draws some milk into the needleless syringe and carries it and his phone to the bed. he stuffs his phone between his teeth, grabs the shampoo minhyuk provided, and heads back to the bathroom again.

the kitten has returned to her loaf form. he places the shampoo on the counter next to the sink, sits back down on the floor, and spreads a hotel towel in his lap. he removes his phone from his mouth, dials kihyun, rests it on the tub, and retrieves the kitten.

"hey, baby," he speaks softly, placing her in his lap and squirting some of the liquid onto his finger.

a laugh comes from his phone. "i know we're close, changkyunnie, but can you stick with using my name?"

the kitten laps at the milk, which is a relief. he sticks his tongue between his teeth and angles the syringe above her head. "sure thing, sugar boots," he answers, and kihyun laughs again.

"so did you get the hot doc's number?"

changkyun lets out an exaggerated sigh. "he was so annoying, ki. oh my god, i didn't even tell you: he brought me food."

"he did what?"

the kitten is licking at the syringe, and changkyun is extremely relieved. he slowly pets her forehead.

"he came back when i was leaving and handed me a bag of food? he said something snarky about how i was insisting on trapping myself in my hotel room with the kitten despite him being right there, but eating is important."

"wow."

"i _know_,” changkyun whines. “i'm supposed to be the snarky one." he pouts even though kihyun isn't there to see it.

"that's not— you know what? nevermind. how is she?"

"his tech named her kokkili."

kihyun snorts. "that's cute! and not really what i asked."

"he recognized me from a conference and insulted my clothes. he had anthropomorphic carrots on his scrub top and a _headband_, kihyun."

"that sounds like it was very difficult for you, changkyunnie."

changkyun sighs. "she's eating some milk replacement right now. i gave her fluids. she needs a bath and i'm hungry."

"go eat the food the hot doctor bought for you. bathe her later. there's not much else you can do right now, and this is supposed to be a relaxing weekend."

"yeah, you're probably right." the kitten has finished the syringe, so he sets it aside. "thanks, hyung."

"any time, kyunnie."

changkyun hangs up just as his stomach growls. he carefully wipes her face and places her back in the nest of towels. she curls up and licks at her paws.

he puts the towel aside for later and stands, stretching his hands over his head. he opts for skipping the bath for now, but does decide to set up the litter box. underneath the heating pad, he finds a slip of paper.

_i'm loaning you all this stuff so you have to come back!_  
_if you need anything else, hoseok hyung has no life — call him._

minhyuk has scribbled a phone number and an alarming number of emojis in the margins around his note. changkyun rolls his eyes and drops it on the bed.

~

an hour later, changkyun has showered and is lounging in sweatpants, his jacket and shirt both sent to the depths of the hotel to be cleaned. the kitten is a confirmed calico, bathed and licking at her legs next to him on the bed.

she has eaten some watered down wet food, and he has eaten a small portion of the alarmingly large quantity of food hoseok handed him.

he doesn't know if hoseok bought so much because he was unsure of what changkyun liked or if he thought this was a normal amount of food, but both options have equally terrifying implications.

changkyun has always appreciated science. it's predictable. he likes animals. they broadcast their feelings in very textbook ways and their motivations are clear to someone who knows where to look.

people? he's never quite known what to do with those. he keeps a small circle of friends. he doesn't go out much. he's had a couple of boyfriends, but they never stick for more than a few months.

_“you care about work more than you care about me.”_

accurate.

_“you can’t leave your dogs alone for one night?”_

_“i can’t leave saja alone, period, and kihyun is working tonight.”_

_“but this trip can’t be changed.”_

asshole.

he feels a paw on his arm and looks over to find the kitten tapping him. he picks her up, puts her on his chest, and she happily rams her nose into his sternum.

“kokkili? do you like that name?” he asks her. she licks him with her tiny, sandpaper tongue before laying down and kneading at his pectoral, right over the watercolour-style, rainbow-coloured paw print he got when he graduated. her claws are so small that he barely feels it.

kittens are like babies, and he should feed her again in another few hours, but for now he strokes her tiny head and lets her quiet purrs lull him to sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> oooookay wowie that happened. welcome to my own personal hell. i’m not sure how long it’s going to take for updates. pov will likely be switching. i don’t have more than a vague plan. but i’m in love with this universe and getting them together will take a little time, so updates will come.
> 
> 1\. [this](https://66.media.tumblr.com/3226822f4fe4addae1a3f5c3b77aac7e/tumblr_pie8dikskz1vt0cfxo1_1280.jpg) is the full pic of hoseok that planted this entire fucking idea in my head months ago.  
2\. the kitten’s name, 코끼리, is korean for elephant. min is a brat, but also elephants are pretty badass.  
3\. i love [polaroid](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N2g2mHANDTw) so very, very much, and it may have inspired the title. if you haven’t heard it, you should.  
4\. so much love to [bluemoonrabbit](https://archiveofourown.org/users/bluemoonrabbit/pseuds/bluemoonrabbit) and [averyblue](https://archiveofourown.org/users/averyblue/pseuds/averyblue), my wonkyun heroes. without you two, there would be no fic. <3  
5\. big thanks to piper for beta'ing too ily. "im changkyun: chaotic vacation hoe" was definitely in the running for title rights for a minute there.  
6\. [here's](https://twitter.com/fromzerohs/status/1170024941863002112) a slide of reference photos for this chapter, if you're into that.
> 
> [twt](http://twitter.com/fromzerohs/). >.<


	2. elephants purr

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “it doesn't have to be some great romance story. you had a crush on hyunwoo when you met him, too."
> 
> "yeah, and then he parked his horse outside and didn't understand why i wasn't okay with it."
> 
> minhyuk narrows his eyes at him. "changkyun probably doesn't have a horse."
> 
> "probably not," hoseok concedes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hoseok's tuuuuurn lord save us all. light angst. like... so light, and balanced by so much fluff.

  
_“hoseokkie, is everything okay?”_

_“he says he’s a veterinarian,” hoseok says, grabbing a disposable litter box from under the counter. “i was so patronising, oh my god,” he groans._

_“wait, what? why is he here?”_

_“because he works at an emergency clinic in seoul.”_

_“ah,” minhyuk nods and raises his fingers to make air quotes: “i’m on vacation.”_

_“yeah,” hoseok says, gathering odds and ends and tossing them in the litter box._

_“to be fair, that wasn’t clear. you didn’t do anything wrong.”_

_“yeah, i guess,” hoseok agrees, drawing up a syringe of b-complex and injecting it into a bag of ringers. “can you get his information and put him in the system? he said his tech can send a copy of his license.”_

_“sure.”_

_“and make sure i didn’t forget anything he might need. i’ll be back in fifteen minutes.”_

_“are you sure you’re okay?”_

_hoseok grabs his keys off his desk. “he’s going to need lunch.”_

_“oh my god, you like him.”_

_“does it matter?” hoseok asks, throwing the question over his shoulder as he walks away._

~

minhyuk makes it a point to arrive to work an hour before the first patient. most days, he uses the time to fully caffeinate, review the charts of the patients coming in, and do all of the menial tasks that keep the office running.

in the past forty-five minutes, he placed an order with their supplier, did some light dusting, called a shelter to request records for a new patient coming in next week, and finished sketching a new colouring sheet for the children who get dragged in with their parents. overall, a productive saturday morning.

he scrolls through emails while sipping his second coffee: spam, a solicitation for conference booth space, a non-urgent question from a client that he marks for later, more spam, and a late reply from changkyun’s technician friend that he opens immediately.

\----------

**license to practice - im changkyun**  
from: yookihyun93@daum.net  
to: office@newtonvc.com  
[yesterday at 14:12]

[file attached]

\----------

**re: license to practice - im changkyun**  
from: office@newtonvc.com  
to: yookihyun93@daum.net  
[yesterday at 14:27]

thank you! ^^

what kind of dogs does he have? o.O

minhyuk

\----------

**re: license to practice - im changkyun**  
from: yookihyun93@daum.net  
to: office@newtonvc.com  
[yesterday at 14:30]

you could just ask him? o.O

\---------

**re: license to practice - im changkyun**  
from: office@newtonvc.com  
to: yookihyun93@daum.net  
[yesterday at 14:47]

where is your sense of technician solidarity, my friend?  
rising up against the bosses? revolution against the oppressors?  
(¬‿¬)═ɜ ɛ═(⌐‿⌐ )

minhyuk

\----------

**NEW re: license to practice - im changkyun**  
from: yookihyun93@daum.net  
to: office@newtonvc.com  
[yesterday at 22:11]

minhyuk-ssi,

please just ask him. he only bites people he likes.  
his rhodesian and i are the ones that bite people who annoy us.

regards,  
yoo kihyun

\----------

minhyuk raises his eyebrow at the computer screen. _interesting._ he glances at the clock and closes the mail program, deciding to save replying for later.

he’s spinning in his chair with his knees to his chest when hoseok finally enters about ten minutes before their first appointment. they wave at each other as he passes through reception to stash his lunch and gym bag in the appropriate areas out back.

minhyuk puts his feet down, fixes his hair, pulls up the schedule, and wonders if yoo kihyun is as feisty in real life as he is online.

~

saturdays are short: they open at 11 and close around 4. minhyuk is less of a tornado when he's not over-caffeinating to deal with night classes, or maybe it’s finally the exhaustion of the week setting in. whatever the reason, hoseok enjoys the saturday calm. they make their way through the schedule, seamlessly switching off tasks in a way that only comes from years of working together.

except hoseok jumps every time the door opens, even though minhyuk says changkyun probably won't show up until after three.

he’s had a hard time focusing since changkyun walked into the clinic yesterday. it was clear he wasn’t from around here even before he kept repeating that he was on vacation — his outfit probably cost more than hoseok’s car is worth at this point. but he seemed kinder than most of the visiting city-dwellers hoseok had met before. attractive, too. he was hoseok’s height, but surprisingly broad and soft — like he worked out but still made terrible food choices — and had a deeper voice than hoseok expected.

hoseok tells himself he shouldn't entertain a fantasy about someone that lives two hours away, but he hasn’t been on a date in _months_. he's _never_ been on a date with someone in medicine; they're always random guys that pick him up at the gym. it might be nice talking with someone on the same intellectual playing field for once.

minhyuk corners him during a short lull after two. again. the same way he did the night before, after changkyun had left.

_“what do you want, minhyuk?” hoseok is trying to review charts, but the blond has been eyeing him for a solid thirty seconds and his patience is running thin._

_minhyuk taps his pencil against the paper in front of him. “he thinks you’re hot, hyung,” he shrugs, then points at part of his sketch. “does this dolphin’s nose look right?”_

_“it looks fine. where’s your usual hatred of all men i might be interested in?”_

_minhyuk hums quietly and goes back to drawing._

_hoseok pretends he doesn’t hear him mutter “i think he’d be good for you” into his hand._

minhyuk stands in the doorway between the lab and the hallway, effectively blocking the shortest path to the bathroom. his right hip is cocked, both hands resting on it.

"you're nervous.”

“minhyuk,” hoseok warns.

"you know you could just try to be friends with him,” minhyuk charges on. “it doesn't have to be some great romance story. you had a crush on hyunwoo when you met him, too."

"yeah, and then he parked his horse outside and didn't understand why i wasn't okay with it."

minhyuk narrows his eyes at him. "changkyun probably doesn't have a horse."

"probably not," hoseok concedes.

“you don’t want to hear this, but i think you’re thinking too much.”

minhyuk means well, but hoseok snaps. “are you going to let me take a piss or not?” he doesn’t raise his voice, but he’s close. the surprise on his friend’s face makes him feel guilty immediately.

minhyuk puts his hands up in silent surrender, stepping aside.

when hoseok emerges from the bathroom — after a long, hard look at himself in the mirror — he finds minhyuk at the front desk and apologizes.

“i won’t bug you about it anymore,” minhyuk tells him, “but you know i’m here for you, right?”

“thanks, minhyukkie.”

~

hoseok’s last scheduled patient for the day is a yellow retriever puppy, newly adopted by a man who had recently moved to town with his husband and daughter.

“we finally have a big yard, so it was time,” the man tells him from the other side of the exam table. his smile is wide — vaguely bulbasaur-like — and hoseok finds himself smiling, too. “harin has been bugging us about wanting a dog ever since she learned to talk.”

hoseok laughs. the girl is probably about four and immediately hit it off with minhyuk, so he can imagine exactly how much of a handful she is.

“well, mango is happy and healthy. he needs one more round of vaccines in three weeks, but then he’s good for six months. minhyuk can make an appointment for you.”

“three weeks?” the man asks, looking at his phone. he frowns. “i’m going to be out of town, so i’ll have to ask donghunnie to bring him.”

“that’s fine,” hoseok assures him. “he can call later.”

the man picks the puppy up and puts him on the ground as hoseok walks around the table to the door. high-pitched giggles drift into the room and the man sighs heavily. “i’m sorry she’s so loud.”

“oh, no, don’t apologize. we’ve had worse,” hoseok says. “minhyuk exists at the same volume level most of the time and he’s almost thirty.”

the man laughs at that and the sound catches his daughter’s attention.

“mango!” she squeals, jumping to her feet.

“dads are at the bottom of the affection totem pole, now.” the man sighs when he says it, but hoseok can see the adoration in his eyes.

"i was the same way with my first dog," minhyuk chirps, leading the group to the desk. "drove my parents crazy. i calmed down after a week or two." 

"my husband is just happy she's happy. he can't bring himself to scold either of them. i’m woefully outnumbered in my own home, and they all have the sad puppy dog eyes _down_."

"have you considered having harin help you train mango?" minhyuk asks. "she's old enough to understand clicker training, it would give her more responsibility, and it will help establish her place in mango's pack."

"are you sure she's not too young?" the man asks, eyes wide, and minhyuk launches into an impassioned explanation of how to get her involved.

hoseok tunes out when a beam of refracted sunlight catches his attention. he squints at the car pulling up out front, but can't remember what changkyun was driving. he runs his hand through his hair out of habit before he can stop himself.

hoseok is drawn back to reality by minhyuk loudly fishing around in his desk drawer. he pulls out a lollipop and gives it to the little girl. "harin, promise me you'll help your daddy and papa take good care of mango?"

the girl nods eagerly. minhyuk ruffles her hair and grins at her before she turns and bounces out the door behind her father.

~

hoseok finally feels like he can breathe, so of course changkyun walks in thirty seconds later.

he's dressed down today — the black hoodie and track pants are a stark contrast to the white t-shirt, designer jacket, and belted black pants from yesterday. his hair is styled away from his forehead and hoseok spies a piercing in his left eyebrow that he didn't notice the day before. it's unclear if the glasses he wears are for fashion or function, but hoseok is decidedly supportive of them regardless.

the kitten is nestled in the loose fabric of his forearm, with her head turned into the crook of his elbow. he looks at her like she's already his whole world.

it's a lot for hoseok to take in. somewhere in his brain is a flicker of recognition, but he can't quite grasp it.

"3:01!" minhyuk exclaims. "how's kokkili?"

"hey, she's good," changkyun murmurs, stopping just inside the door.

his voice is raspier than hoseok remembers, and before he can stop himself he asks changkyun if he's feeling okay.

changkyun looks at him blankly, then back down to the kitten before he replies. "she won't let me sleep for more than an hour at a time, so we've been taking a lot of naps. i only woke up about fifteen minutes ago."

_oh_, hoseok thinks. _oh, no_. he looks over to minhyuk, hoping for emotional support, but minhyuk is turned away from him and approaching changkyun to take the bag he's carrying. changkyun thanks him and hoseok waits for minhyuk to walk away, but he stands between them, bag at his side, and pets kokkili’s head.

hoseok awkwardly picks at stray pieces of mango’s fur on his shirt and wracks his brain for the reason changkyun looks familiar, but comes up empty.

changkyun clears his throat and looks up at hoseok again. “i wanted to thank you for the food yesterday. you didn’t have to do that, but it was enough that i didn’t have to worry about leaving her alone for the first twenty-four hours.”

“that was the idea,” hoseok says, pleased. changkyun’s comment is enough to break the spell his thoughts had on him. “let’s go take a look at her?” he suggests.

changkyun nods, and minhyuk steps aside with the bag.

"i'll just be here," he says, gesturing around the room in a sweeping motion. "putting away borrowed supplies. answering emails. without a kitten. if you need me." he cocks an eyebrow at hoseok from behind changkyun's back.

hoseok ignores him and leads changkyun into an exam room. changkyun is quiet.

“did you know elephants can purr?” hoseok blurts.

“what?” changkyun sputters at him. “really?” he adds, laughing, and hoseok’s stomach does a _thing_.

“minhyuk got bored and made an animal-fact-a-day calendar a few months ago. the clients love it,” he explains.

“that’s incredible.”

“i assume he picked kokkili's name.”

“yeah. i thought he was just being chaotic, but i guess it works.”

“oh, he was definitely being chaotic,” hoseok laughs, “but his chaos usually comes from a good place.”

changkyun puts kokkili down in the middle of the table, leaving his hands hovering over her small body. she sniffs once, then starts making her way back to his torso where he stands next to the edge. her front end is bulky — full of fluid under her skin that hasn’t been absorbed yet — and she wobbles on her tiny paws.

“she’s moving around!” hoseok whispers excitedly, and changkyun’s face lights up.

“yeah,” changkyun smiles softly. “thankfully i’m a light sleeper and wake up before she has a chance to try jumping off the bed."

"is she eating well?"

changkyun hums thoughtfully. “the first two feedings weren’t great, but she got ravenous at about eleven last night and has been eating well today.”

"i'm glad,” hoseok nods. “when are you heading home?"

"tomorrow afternoon."

"we'll get you a few more cans of wet food.”

"that would be great.”

they both watch kokkili try to climb inside changkyun's hoodie pocket for a few seconds before he stops her.

changkyun clears his throat. "thank you for being patient with me yesterday," he says, adjusting his glasses. "i'm sorry if i was rude. i'm sure she would've been fine staying here, but i can get intense when i'm in work mode."

"you don't have to apologize,” hoseok shakes his head. “i would probably have done the same thing. i just wish you would have said something when you came in and saved us all some time."

changkyun doesn’t answer. hoseok watches him pick at a thread on his sleeve for a few seconds before snapping his eyes back up to hoseok’s.

“i almost forgot— can we weigh her? i've been guessing at how much to feed."

hoseok nods. "the table is a scale.” changkyun picks up kokkili. hoseok presses a button and a digital display on the wall turns on, reading "0.00 kg" in block lettering. he nods at changkyun again, who puts the kitten back down. the display reads "0.36 kg".

"probably underweight, but not too bad," hoseok says, and changkyun hums. he busies himself with inspecting kokkili's paws, so they stand quietly for another handful of seconds. hoseok has no idea what to say.

"do—"

"well, you—"

"sorry, go ahead."

"i was going to say i think we're done,” hoseok says, halfway between a statement and a question. “you should get back to your vacation. congratulations on the new family addition."

changkyun nods and turns to leave, but stops and looks back at hoseok again. "food?"

"minhyuk can get it for you, if he hasn't already."

"okay, thanks." changkyun holds his hand out. "it was nice to meet you, lee hoseok."

hoseok slides his palm against changkyun's and shakes his hand. "you too, im changkyun."

~

minhyuk was true to his word and didn’t say anything else about changkyun when they were closing up. when hoseok got home, he headed straight for his bathroom and has been standing under the hot water replaying today’s entire encounter for the past twenty minutes.

he lets his head fall forward against the shower wall and groans. he needs to forget about it. even if changkyun was interested, changkyun lives in seoul, and seoul is two hours away. even if they had more time to build a foundation, hoseok is too clingy for long-distance relationships.

it just sucks. changkyun is adorable. and smart. and his _voice_. and he dedicates his life to _emergency_, which is the one internship that almost broke hoseok. that alone tells him a lot about the kind of person changkyun probably is: quick-witted, resourceful, deliberate.

but changkyun is gone and he can’t exactly pull his phone number from his file and text him out of nowhere, because that would be creepy.

he sighs, decides he's done enough moping, and makes quick work of washing his hair and body. dubu and jadu need their pen cleaned, and hoseok thinks maybe he can see if hyunwoo is free for a drink.

he turns off the water and steps out, wrapping a towel around his waist and draping another over his head before padding to his bedroom to get dressed. he’s standing in a pair of grey sweatpants, towel-drying his hair, when his phone beeps on the nightstand behind him.

\----------  
from: unknown (16:40)  
_hey, it's changkyun. minhyuk gave me your number yesterday. are you busy?_  
\----------

hoseok considers throwing his phone against the wall because it’s probably possessed.

he adds a new contact and he takes a few deep breaths to calm the screaming in his head — what if something is wrong with kokkili? — before finally replying.

\----------  
to: im changkyun (16:44)  
_nope ^^ was about to clean my rabbits’ pen. what's up? is kokkili okay?_

from: im changkyun (16:46)  
_she's fine_  
_but i was wondering if you could recommend a place that will deliver to the hotel on sicheong_

to: im changkyun (16:47)  
_what are you in the mood for?_

from: im changkyun (16:47)  
_jjajangmyeon?_  
\----------

hoseok paces the length of his bedroom a few times before sitting on the end of his bed and typing out a reply.

he shouldn’t do this, but changkyun texted him about food. “it’s basically our thing at this point, right?” he muses out loud.

\----------  
to: im changkyun (16:49)  
_there's a place. they don't deliver but i was planning to go there in a bit anyway. i could go now and bring you takeout?_

from: im changkyun (16:51)  
_i don't want to disrupt your routine_

to: im changkyun (16:51)  
_can you wait an hour?_

from: im changkyun (16:51)  
_i'm in room 28._  
_bring rabbit pics. (´♡ᴗ♡`)_  
\----------

hoseok smiles. his phone is full of rabbit pictures, but he makes a mental note to take new ones.

he pulls a clean white shirt over his head, layers a blue and red plaid flannel over it, and switches his contacts for glasses. he tosses his towels in the laundry on the way to the living room.

his rabbits occupy an open pen that runs along almost the entire length of one wall. he’s had them for about six months now and can’t remember what life was like before that. boring, probably. they’re allowed to roam freely when hoseok is home — a fact they’re very well aware of. their excitement is evident in the way they look up when he enters the room.

"hi, sweeties. cleaning time,” he greets, opening the gate. dubu takes off sprinting for a large dog bed next to the couch; jadu hops along behind him with a wooden toy in his mouth.

he moves methodically through the pen, starting with the litter box. within forty minutes, the floor is clean, the bedding has been swapped out, litter is changed, a new cardboard box with a big hole cut out is in the corner, and they have fresh water and food.

he perches on the couch and snaps a couple pictures of them flopped on their sides on the dog bed. it’s not an ideal display of their adorableness, but it will do.

hoseok sighs. he’s standing to herd the rabbits back to their pen when his phone beeps.

\----------  
from: im changkyun (17:42)  
_does the jjajangmyeon place have mandu? ^^_

to: im changkyun (17:43)  
_remember all the food i bought you yesterday? trust me._

from: im changkyun (17:43)  
_>.<_

to: im changkyun (17:44)  
_i’m leaving soon._

from: im changkyun (17:44)  
_say hi to your bunnies for me._  
\----------

hoseok’s stomach does the thing again. he ignores it and pockets his phone.

“is this a bad idea, dubu?” he asks, gently prodding the boys to wake them.

dubu shakes himself off the dog bed and thumps his back feet on the ground, annoyed.

“oh, i know, buddy. jadu, you too,” he says, giving the black rabbit another poke.

after a minute, they both make their way back to the pen. he feels awful as he shuts the gate; it’s not often that he goes out again once he’s home for the night.

he slips on a pair of shoes, retrieves his keys and wallet, and heads for the restaurant.

~

twenty minutes later, he’s standing outside changkyun’s room with a bag of food. he runs a hand through his hair, then knocks.

changkyun opens the door in the same outfit as this afternoon. the right arm and chest of his hoodie is covered in cat fur.

“oh, thank god, i’m starving,” he almost whines. hoseok has the urge to smooth strands of misplaced hair on changkyun’s head; he shoves it as far away as possible. “come in. kokkili’s sleeping.”

it occurs to hoseok that they didn’t specify if they were going to eat together. he planned to drop off food for changkyun and go back home with his own, but changkyun is pulling two water bottles out of the mini fridge and putting them on the desk and hoseok isn’t sure what he’s supposed to do.

minhyuk’s voice echoes in his head: _“you’re thinking too much. i think he’d be good for you.”_

“this is for you,” hoseok says, handing the bag over. “mine is in the car. i didn’t want to presume you wanted me to stay.”

changkyun looks at him like he’s grown an extra head. “i told you to bring rabbit pictures.”

“so i should go get mine.”

“you don’t _have_ to—”

“no, i’d— i’ll go get it.”

hoseok ducks his head and retreats to get his food from the car. when he returns to changkyun’s room, the door opens before he has to knock. changkyun — already on his way back to the desk — waves him in while shoving the last half of a dumpling in his mouth.

_cute._

kokkili is balled in the center of the unmade bed, asleep. she looks even smaller in the sea of white hotel sheets than she does in changkyun's arms. hoseok is sure she will be beautiful when she's fully grown — a chance she now has, thanks to changkyun picking this town on a map, or however he decided to come here.

beyond the bed, changkyun has set up his food on the left side of the desk and pulled the ottoman over to sit on, leaving the right side and desk chair open for him. he's already digging into the noodles with his chopsticks.

"i could've come earlier if you were hungry," hoseok says.

"no, it's fine, i was serious about not wanting to disrupt your routine. my dogs lose their minds if they aren't fed on time," changkyun explains around a mouthful of noodles. "and they're relatively well behaved."

"wait, you have dogs?"

"hm?" confusion flashes across his face. "oh, i guess minhyuk is the one who asked. i have three."

"three!"

"yeah." changkyun unlocks his phone and starts scrolling through his camera roll with his right hand, shoving another bite of jjajangmyeon into his mouth with his left.

"how are they going to feel about their new sister?"

"saja comes to work with me, so she's used to cats. my boys don't care about much except food, plotting ways to get more food, and sleeping." changkyun turns his phone to show hoseok a photo of a beautiful rhodesian ridgeback. "this is saja. she was a graduation gift from my parents. i've wanted a rhodesian since i was young."

hoseok remembers harin and wonders if it was possible for a young version of this man to be as precocious. it seems unlikely. what kind of kid gets so specific about the breed?

"and this is stitch," changkyun continues swiping through more photos, "and tokki. they were rescues."

"italian greyhound and a cavalier king charles," hoseok laughs. "food-motivated loaf dogs for sure."

changkyun grins. "they go on my morning run with me but that's truly the extent of their energy most days."

"they're adorable. your tech is watching them?"

"kihyun. he's my minhyuk."

"my condolences," hoseok deadpans.

changkyun snorts, laughing so hard he almost topples off the ottoman. hoseok is delighted.

they fall quiet for a few minutes, focused on eating. hoseok's tteokbokki ends up being shared between them after a questioning glance from changkyun with his chopsticks hovering over the takeout container and a nod from hoseok.

changkyun puts his chopsticks down, takes a sip of water, and stretches his arms above his head. hoseok thinks he looks like a cat. his hoodie rides up, exposing a sliver of skin that catches hoseok's attention. he quickly looks away and shoves an entire dumpling in his mouth.

_really cute._

"that was so good," changkyun moans. "and now you owe me bunnies."

hoseok makes a noise of agreement. he pulls his phone out, places it to the left of his food, and suddenly realizes — "you're left handed."

changkyun looks from hoseok's face to his own left hand and back again. "yes."

"that's uncommon."

"only because parents and educators force right-handedness on young children," he says. "but i spent my earliest years overseas where my teachers didn't really care."

"really? that's so cool. i've never left korea."

"you're not missing much, honestly."

"i don't know, paris seems romantic," hoseok muses. "and rome. i'd love to learn more english and go to conferences in other countries."

"they're a lot like ours but the food is terrible."

hoseok hums and resumes hunting for photos. he finds a bunch from a particularly cute day and moves his phone a little closer to changkyun.

"what are their names?" he asks, standing from the low, makeshift seat and moving to hover next to hoseok's shoulder instead.

"dubu and jadu."

"the white one is dubu?" changkyun asks over a photo of the pair, and hoseok's stomach flips.

"yeah, i'm not very creative with names."

"i think they're perfect— oh my god, you have videos."

"you know how dogs get the zoomies and run around at light speed for no reason? bunnies do it, too," hoseok tells him, and starts a video of dubu and jadu sprinting across the living room.

"incredible."

a meow from behind them steals changkyun's attention. they both turn to see kokkili waddling towards the edge of the bed. changkyun moves to pick her up, cradling her in his arms the same way he did in the office.

"good morning, miss kokkili," he speaks softly to her. "are you hungry?" he turns to hoseok. "usually i'm ready when she wakes up, but i lost track of time. will you hold her while i get her some food?"

hoseok nods and holds out a hand so she can sniff him. when she does, he carefully takes her from changkyun's arms. she walks along his folded forearms until she gets to his unbuttoned flannel and pokes her head in between it and his t-shirt.

"she's so tiny," he observes, eyes wide.

changkyun huffs a laugh at him from across the room where he's mixing some water into kokkili's wet food. "you saw her earlier. if anything, at this age, she's probably grown since then."

"yeah, but i didn't hold her like this." she's managed to climb all the way inside his shirt, lodging herself in the crook of his elbow like she does with changkyun. hoseok's heart might be a melted puddle of goo.

"that's true," changkyun admits, turning back towards them with a bowl in his hand. "by the way, what do i— oh."

hoseok looks up. "she's like a little worm. she just wiggled her way in."

changkyun's adam's apple bobs as he swallows. "i see that." he approaches, putting the bowl on the desk. "before i forget, what do i owe you for the food?"

"20,000," hoseok tells him, generously rounding down.

he retrieves his wallet from the nightstand and hands hoseok triple that. "you're lying, and that's for yesterday, too."

“thanks.” hoseok pockets the money.

changkyun sits and holds his hands out. “do you need help getting her out of your shirt?” he asks, and hoseok shakes his head.

“she needs to eat,” he tells hoseok, voice authoritative but kind. “unless you’re okay with her getting slurry all over you. i usually just put the bowl in my lap.”

“she can’t really ruin my sweatpants,” hoseok smiles. he takes the bowl from changkyun and balances it in between his knees, then straightens his forearm so he can reach into his shirt and get kokkili out.

“that’s— very true,” changkyun stutters.

hoseok manages to fish her out with minimal meowing in protest. he places her on his thighs and she goes right for the bowl. changkyun busies himself with cleaning up the desk while kokkili eats. hoseok sits and watches her, entranced.

changkyun’s voice is quiet when he speaks, like he’s trying to avoid popping hoseok’s happy bubble. “i would think you see kittens a lot, being a regular practice.”

“i do, but this is different. she’s so little. she might not have made it if it weren’t for you, you know?”

“yeah, i guess,” he shrugs.

“you’re used to it,” hoseok states simply, looking up.

“unfortunately,” changkyun frowns. “abandoned too early, respiratory issues, feline leukemia. too many things, really.”

“my emergency internship almost made me quit school. i don’t know how you do it.”

“i try to get out of the city every other weekend,” changkyun explains, separating their leftovers into their respective bags. “i love the work and i’m good at it. i think i have a responsibility to use the talents i was given, but i’m not a robot. some days are complete shit.”

“that’s a very virtuous way of looking at it.”

“is it?” changkyun asks, cocking his head to the side.

“i think a lot of people have talents they’re unaware of,” hoseok tells him, “or that they don’t use for one reason or another. but you balance your life around making sure you can use them, even though it’s difficult, instead of taking an easier path. i think that’s virtuous,” he shrugs, “and admirable.”

changkyun pulls his knees up to his chest and just _looks_ at him.

hoseok clears his throat. kokkili is done eating, so he removes the bowl from his lap, and it seems to break whatever spell changkyun is under.

“no mess,” changkyun observes. “she’s growing up already.” he adjusts his glasses and hoseok’s brain tries to make a connection again, but he just can’t get it.

“it’s getting late,” hoseok’s brain supplies instead. “i should get home, and you must be tired.”

“oh. okay.” changkyun takes kokkili from him. his words are clipped, and hoseok knows he screwed up. “thank you for coming.”

“you’re welcome. it was—” hoseok pauses. “really nice to meet you.” there’s so much more that hoseok wants to say, but it’s all useless. “good luck with her,” he offers instead. he gathers his things and changkyun walks him to the door. they wave awkwardly at each other, and hoseok makes his way towards the parking lot.

“drive safely,” changkyun belatedly calls from behind him.

he walks a little bit faster.

~

minhyuk is cross-legged on a stool at his kitchen island, one hand hovering over a pizza box, trying to decipher a particularly important line in his biology notes when his phone buzzes from underneath his notebook.

\----------  
to: minhyuk (20:03)  
_hey min_  
_did changkyun look familiar to you_

from: minhyuk (20:05)  
_… yes. >.<_  
_i was wondering if you'd figure it out._  
_he gave that talk on intestinal obstructions that you were super interested in._  
_at the conference in busan a couple of years ago_  
_the guy whose clothes you spent the whole dinner complaining about_  
_bc he "looks like he came off a runway"_

to: minhyuk (20:09)  
_ah. that's it._  
_thanks._

from: minhyuk (20:10)  
_are you really sure you're okay?_  
_hyung?_  
_???_

to: minhyuk (20:13)  
_i thought he looked familiar when he came in with his glasses on today and it was driving me crazy._

from: minhyuk (20:13)  
_i'm sorry i didn't tell you_  
_i didn't think you remembered him_

to: minhyuk (20:15)  
_i brought him food._  
_we ate and talked and it was really nice?_  
_he's leaving tomorrow._

from: minhyuk (20:16)  
_aha_  
_seokkie hyung :(_  
_do you want me to come over_

to: minhyuk (20:17)  
_bring ice cream?_

from: minhyuk (20:17)  
_ofc_  
_be there in ten_  
\----------

minhyuk sighs. he opens the clinic email on his phone and types a quick reply to kihyun before grabbing his notes and heading for hoseok's house.

\----------

**re: license to practice - im changkyun**  
from: office@newtonvc.com  
to: yookihyun93@daum.net  
[today at 20:19]

i think we have a problem with our bosses.  
or a mission, depending on how you want to look at it.  
please text me 115-5521-699

minhyuk

\----------

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hellooooo this came out faster than i expected it to, but it was painful as hell to write. there are some rough spots but i just couldn’t look at it anymore. but cogs are starting to turn, everything is very exciting! nothing will be sad for long.
> 
> 1\. hoseok's bunnies are mentioned in foaling season, but dubu is tofu and jadu is plum.  
2\. thank you for the comments and kudos on the first chapter. i’ve been doing a lot of screaming on my twt about how much they mean to me and i’ll reply eventually, and you see this on every fic you read, but they really mean a lot. <3  
3\. [photo references](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/EDzDedXXoAUEdB3.png) for chapter one if you’re into that. chapter two will be coming later on [my twt](http://twitter.com/fromzerohs/).


	3. elephant skin is over an inch thick

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> in which changkyun is emo, kihyuk are a disaster, and hoseok is hoseok.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i’m sorry lmao. i listened to reputation a lot when writing this and it probably shows.  
[chapter two reference board](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/ED-YLObW4AEaTDK.png) if you didn’t catch it on my twt.

changkyun focuses most of his energy on kokkili that night.

in between naps and feedings, he does anything to avoid thinking about the sting of hoseok abruptly leaving. he spends too much money online shopping for basic — and not so basic — cat supplies to be delivered to his house on monday. he gets two cat trees to give her space away from the dogs and elegant "furniture" that doubles as scratching posts made out of high-density, corrugated cardboard. he buys a water fountain he's sure tokki will claim, and subsequently soak his ears in every time he drinks from it. he loses an hour researching nutritional requirements in raw diets for cats because it’s been a while since his last nutrition class, then orders a few raw treats to ease her in.

he misses his dogs. he misses his bed. he even misses kihyun. he considers driving home early, but he told hoseok he was leaving tomorrow, and some part of him inexplicably hopes the man will show up again.

he distracts himself as best he can until morning, when kokkili finally curls up in her place on his chest and lets him fall asleep for three hours.

~

changkyun wakes to a tiny claw kneading dangerously close to his right nipple and his phone buzzing on the nightstand. he gently unhooks kokkili's nails from his shirt and moves her foot a few centimeters to the side. he reaches for his phone and finds messages from kihyun.

\----------  
from: ki-hyung (08:43)  
_[image attached]_  
_i think the boys miss you but it's hard to tell because this is all they do_  
_[image attached]_  
_saja says she wants to go home with me_  
\----------

changkyun smiles at the first image of tokki and stitch cuddled together on the couch. he rolls his eyes at the second: a blurry selfie that catches saja in the middle of licking kihyun's cheek.

\----------  
to: ki-hyung (08:47)  
_stop trying to steal my dog_

from: ki-hyung (08:48)  
_let me know when you're on your way home so we can make our getaway_

to: ki-hyung (08:48)  
_get your own >.<_

from: ki-hyung (08:49)  
_:(((_

to: ki-hyung (08:49)  
_leaving in about an hour? have to pack._

from: ki-hyung (08:50)  
_can i do anything to help get the place ready?_

to: ki-hyung (08:51)  
_i went on a shopping spree. everything should be there tomorrow._  
_treats for the dogs would be helpful_

from: ki-hyung (08:51)  
_i’ll whip up some more. hey, how did things go with the hot doctor yesterday?_

to: ki-hyung (08:52)  
_ugh. do you have time for a drink or six when i get back?_

from: ki-hyung (08:52)  
_… yeah of course_  
_but o.O_

to: ki-hyung (08:53)  
_same tbh._  
\----------

~

changkyun manages to get everything packed by ten. he prepares a bowl of food for kokkili and leaves it with her in the bathtub while he carries everything else out. he puts her litter box on the front, passenger's side floorboard, and arranges his hoodie from yesterday in a makeshift bed on the seat — hopefully a comfortable enough place for her to sleep while he drives.

he checks his phone more than he should. kihyun sends him an obnoxious selfie with tokki and stitch devouring his homemade treats in the background. the office manager at work sends him an email, apologetic about bugging him on his weekend away, but needing him to sign off on treating a stray dog someone dropped off in bad shape — the doctors tend to cover costs as a group until they can find a shelter to help out. he doesn't hear from hoseok, which he supposes shouldn't surprise him.

he enters his room again to find kokkili eating on her own, but he sits next to the bathtub and pets her anyway — probably for his own comfort as much as hers. when she finishes, he cleans her up and throws away the bowl.

"are you ready to go home?" he asks, scratching under her chin.

she meows in reply, which is good enough for him.

he tucks her in his jacket from friday, clean thanks to the hotel. he does one last sweep for any items he might have forgotten, then checks his phone again. finding nothing, he sighs and heads to the desk to check out.

~

the drive home is largely uneventful. kokkili mostly sleeps, thankfully content enough on changkyun's unwashed hoodie to stay out of his lap, though she glares at him when he turns on his usual music with heavy, thumping basslines and he has to switch to a more relaxed playlist.

changkyun tries to think about anything else on his drive, but hoseok plagues him.

he was going to ask him out to dinner when he was at the clinic yesterday, but hoseok cut him off and suggested they were done. it took him an hour to work up the courage to text, and he thought the man offering to bring him dinner was a good sign. their conversation was light and comfortable and kokkili in his shirt made changkyun’s knees weak.

something about him was special, even beyond the fact that no veterinarian needs to work out as much as hoseok clearly does. he was kind, observant, and so gentle when talking about his bunnies — he has _bunnies_! it was clear he could be deeply insightful when it mattered; changkyun had never thought of his choice to run away from his life so frequently as worthy of praise and admiration. on the contrary, having to do it at all made him feel weak.

more than anything, the man's presence was soothing in a way people rarely are for changkyun.

he doesn't really know what he expected to happen. they have very different lives, hundreds of kilometers apart. he doesn't like one-night stands, so that was never on the table — though hoseok's very casual outfit certainly challenged some of changkyun's beliefs in that department.

he just wishes he knew why hoseok left so suddenly. or that he'd sent a message to wish him a safe trip home.

"what did we do wrong?" he asks the sleeping kitten. her ear twitches, but her eyes stay closed. the road splits, and changkyun follows the signs for seoul.

~

kihyun finishes transferring the last batch of dog biscuits to a cooling rack and wipes his hands on his apron. saja sits in the corner of the kitchen, watching him. he grabs a cube of frozen watermelon and coconut milk out of the freezer.

"high five?" he prompts, and she raises her paw to touch his hand, tail thumping against the floor excitedly. "good girl!" he laughs, holding out his other hand so she can take the treat from him.

he checks his watch while rinsing the melted bits of treat off his palm — changkyun should be home soon. kihyun runs his hands through his hair, worried. changkyun was evasive when he asked about the doctor he met, minhyuk sent him a cryptic email, and he doesn’t know what to do about any of it.

he sets his apron aside and grabs two cooled biscuits from an earlier batch. he brings them and his phone into the living room where tokki and stitch are napping on the couch, saja on his heels. the boys immediately perk up their heads, and he gives them each a biscuit as he sits. he pulls up his email and copies minhyuk’s number to a new contact.

\----------  
to: newton - minhyuk (11:41)  
_please don't make me regret this, but what's up? changkyun was weird this morning._

from: newton - minhyuk (11:43)  
_could it be? the esteemed kihyun-ssi?_

to: newton - minhyuk (11:43)  
_already asking to get blocked_

from: newton - minhyuk (11:44)  
_i'll take that as a yes._  
_your friend was a classic panicked gay when he was in the clinic._  
_understandable, tbh. hoseok is hot._  
_so is changkyun btw but that’s not important right now_  
_though have you ever hooked up with him bc wow idk if i could be friends with him and not try_  
_anyway_  
_i'm sure changkyun will tell you all about it_  
_but long story short hoseok brought him dinner last night and they talked and it was very disney-love-story_  
_until my dear bff blurted something dumb and basically ran away._  
_he's got some emotional baggage._  
_but i could see the sparks!_  
_we must fix it!_  
\----------

saja jumps onto the couch and arranges herself next to him while he stares, dumbfounded by the sheer quantity of messages that minhyuk sent and the content of them. he lazily scratches her behind the ear and thinks.

changkyun usually spends his time away fully detaching from his life here at home, so they don’t talk much when he’s gone. kihyun sends dog updates that changkyun replies to maybe half the time. they talked more than usual this weekend because of the kitten, but he’s not surprised his friend didn’t immediately spill the details of what happened. either it wasn’t a big deal, or he was trying to sort out his feelings in his head first.

"he asked for drinks, so probably not _not_ a big deal, right, saja?" he asks; she drops her head into his lap and closes her eyes. "thanks for your input, girl." he sighs, rubbing the bridge of his nose under his glasses.

\----------  
to: newton - minhyuk (11:48)  
_…_  
_i don't even know where to start. regarding changkyun and hoseok, though, why is this reading like the plot of a bad drama? they're adults, i’m sure they can figure it out._

from: newton - minhyuk (11:50)  
_the baggage isn’t mine to talk about._  
_but i know hoseok regrets how he left things._  
_he won't make another move, he thinks it's doomed._  
_changkyun seems like the kind of guy that could convince him to take a leap of faith._  
_if someone were to push him to do it._  
_like a fairy godmother._  
_or a devil on his shoulder, if you’d prefer. (。^_・)ノ_

to: newton - minhyuk (11:52)  
_are you always this involved in lives that aren’t your own? do you always spam instead of writing one message? how do people deal?_

from: newton - minhyuk (11:54)  
_people love me, thanks._  
_anyway talk to changkyun_  
_i bet he’s confused and a little sad._  
_i don’t want hoseok to hurt, he's no fun when he in self-flagellation mode._  
_sometimes you need to help your friends realize they could be very well-fucked if they just got over their issues._  
_for the good of the gays, you know._  
_oops have class g2g_  
\----------

kihyun is trying to parse what he just read when all three dogs turn in unison to the window. he heads to the hall for his shoes when he hears the garage door open, excited to meet the kitten, significantly less excited to deal with whatever bombshells changkyun is about to drop on him.

~

changkyun’s first priority when he gets home is creating a space for kokkili in the guest bathroom. he carries her litter box from the car, stopping in the kitchen to get a temporary water bowl and in his bedroom to gather extra blankets. kihyun follows him throughout the house, kokkili in his arms, speaking quietly to her about how beautiful she is. saja follows them both, waiting for changkyun’s attention.

changkyun shows kokkili the litter box, then sits with her for a few minutes while she sniffs around the room and makes herself comfortable in the bed of blankets. "just for today, okay?" he promises her, rubbing a finger under her chin. soon enough, she falls asleep. he pulls out his phone and sets a timer to check on her in an hour.

he says hello to tokki and stitch, who couldn’t care less about his return. saja waits in the doorway between the living room and kitchen, torn between kihyun and changkyun, until changkyun crouches on the ground and lightly taps his thighs, giving her the okay to come to him. she bounds across the room and into his open arms, resting her head on his shoulder and licking his ear. "i missed you too, princess," he tells her, running his hands firmly down the sides of her body.

in the kitchen, kihyun is spooning ramen into bowls. "your chopsticks are over there now," he tells changkyun, pointing three drawers away from where they used to be. changkyun just sighs, moving to the drawer he indicated. they move around the kitchen like it’s an operating room, wordlessly handing each other bowls and utensils and beer bottles.

their conversation over food is largely veterinary-related, but they avoid kokkili and hoseok. kihyun tells him about a new paper he read about lizards, how he failed to teach tokki to bark on command, and how he accidentally turned stitch into a watermelon fiend.

changkyun listens well and laughs in the right places, but his mind is still two hours away.

~

"so, you didn’t answer me when i asked how things went yesterday," kihyun finally says after changkyun returns from checking on the kitten. they’re three beers deep but changkyun’s not sure if it's enough.

"yeah, i don’t know," he replies, pulling his legs to his chest and resting his beer bottle on his knees where he can pick at the label. "i thought maybe good, but now i’m not so sure."

kihyun listens to him detail how he was going to ask hoseok to dinner but was interrupted and dismissed, their text conversation, and their dinner in changkyun’s hotel room. when changkyun has relayed the whole story, kihyun’s chin wrinkles. he wordlessly unfolds himself from the couch, collects their empty bottles, and heads to the kitchen.

changkyun pulls tokki into his lap and idly plays with his ears.

kihyun comes back with two more bottles. "why is this bothering you so much?" he asks, handing changkyun one and taking a swig from his own. "guys ask you out all the time and you turn them down. even the ones who broke up with you didn't affect you like this."

"i know," changkyun says. he takes a long sip from the new bottle. "i just want to know if i did something wrong, you know?"

kihyun bites his lip. "i think you’re putting too much blame on yourself," he finally says. "there were two people in that room, changkyunnie, and you barely know hoseok."

changkyun hums thoughtfully and takes another sip.

kihyun shifts, arranging himself with his back against the armrest, and gestures to saja where she sits on the floor next to them. she jumps into his lap — all thirty kilograms of her — and he lets her settle before he looks up to changkyun again. "it sounds like he could be different than your exes."

"like you said, i barely know him."

kihyun empties his fourth bottle and puts it on the coffee table, then rests his arms on the dog in his lap. "i know this is a bold move for you, but have you considered just asking him why he left?" he asks, fingers playing with saja’s ridge fur. "you have his number, right?"

"i do, but isn’t that weird?"

"i don't think so," kihyun shrugs. "can i ask you a question you might not like?"

"go for it," changkyun says, toasting the air between them with his bottle before emptying it.

"if you were to meet him tomorrow on the titanic and it went down, would you try to save him?"

changkyun can't help but laugh at the ridiculousness of the question. saja opens one eye and looks at him from her place in kihyun's lap. kihyun waits, expressionless.

science. changkyun appreciates science. science is predictable. science says the scenario is ludicrous to suggest. but changkyun has learned the value of gut instinct, and his gut is shouting yes. 

"fucking hell," changkyun mutters.

kihyun puts a hand on his knee, sympathy apparent on his face, and gracefully changes the subject.

~

changkyun wakes to the smell of fresh coffee, and it takes him a minute to remember kihyun stayed over. he runs his hands through his hair and groans, because mondays.

when his eyes have adjusted to being open, he drags himself from under his covers and into his bathroom to use the toilet and brush his teeth. he slips on a hoodie and sweatpants, pulls on a pair of socks, and pads to the kitchen.

kihyun is at the table with kokkili, his tablet set aside in favor of watching her eat. the dogs surround him, interested but with butts firmly planted on the floor. all three of them are wearing their harnesses.

changkyun grunts when he walks in. "coffee," he croaks, and then he pouts and makes grabby hands for good measure.

"good morning, boss," kihyun greets. "on the counter in your travel mug."

"yoo kihyun, an actual angel," changkyun comments between sips. "how long have you been up?"

"an hour. i got a call asking me to cover the end of a shift this morning, so i need to head in, but everyone is ready for their run and obviously i've fed this little bean."

"do you think you could take her with you?" changkyun asks. he doesn't want to leave her alone for his whole shift, and bringing two animals might be pushing his luck with their office manager. "wheein likes you more than me, she'll probably dote on her all day for you."

"wheein likes you just fine," kihyun says, shaking his head. "she's only nicer to me because we went on a few dates last year. but of course i'll take her."

changkyun sets his coffee aside and collects the dogs' leashes. he thanks kihyun as he clips leashes to harnesses, and they speak briefly about mundane work topics while he ties his running shoes and does a few stretches. kihyun suggests he bring wheein a cupcake from her favorite bakery to show his appreciation, which probably isn't the worst idea. changkyun thanks him again and promises to see him later before stepping outside with his dogs in tow, back to his normal life for another two weeks.

~

\----------  
to: newton - minhyuk (10:08)  
_talked to changkyun. what the hell is in the water out there?_

from: newton - minhyuk (10:10)  
_questionable things, probably._  
_hoseok has been moping ever since he got here today._  
_i'm not even sure he went to the gym this morning._  
_ヾ(｡﹏｡)ﾉﾞ_

to: newton - minhyuk (10:13)  
_i can't believe i'm in cahoots with someone with a kaomoji addiction._

from: newton - minhyuk (10:14)  
_(.づ◡﹏◡)づ._  
_there, there._  
_you'll get used to it._  
\----------

~

monday passes in a blur, but thankfully this leaves little time to think about hoseok.

changkyun does bring wheein a cupcake, and her eyes light up when he hands it to her. his coworkers fawn over kokkili where kihyun set her up in a treatment cage, and saja is her usual self, finding those who look like they need emotional support and plopping herself on their feet.

he makes a few calls to some contacts in the area about the dog that was dropped off over the weekend; one tells him she knows someone whose shelter might have space and available funds for treatment and promises to pass along the case and clinic information.

he treats a male cat with a urinary blockage, a dog with an abscessed anal gland, and after his dinner break there is a flurry of activity that culminates in him and kihyun successfully correcting a puppy's twisted bowel.

he arrives home that night, exhausted, to a pile of boxes outside his door. "kokkili presents," he tells himself, smiling at her curled up on his passenger's seat.

he gets her inside first, secured in the bathroom before bringing saja in. he drops his messenger bag on the kitchen table and divides food for the dogs, tokki and stitch under his feet the whole time, before setting the three bowls in different corners of the room. 

with the dogs occupied, he begins lugging the boxes in and piling them in the hallway. when the last one is in, he kicks off his shoes as he shuts the door. he looks at the pile, seemingly larger now that it's in his enclosed hallway, and sighs.

he may have gone a little overboard the other night.

changkyun moves the larger boxes to one side — probably the cat trees and furniture — and gets to work unpacking the smaller ones. he separates the food and water dishes he bought so they can be washed, and eventually finds the plastic litter box that will replace the disposable one minhyuk gave him. he unpacks a box of toys — wand-type toys with different materials attached, plastic balls with bells inside, soft ones with feathers, an assortment of furry mice and some random stuffed shapes that carry the distinct scent of catnip. the water fountain is packed with a soft, round cat bed; he puts them with the furniture boxes and food dishes, respectively. another box contains a large bucket of cat litter.

the last box holds freeze-dried rabbit and duck feet. changkyun scrunches his nose up when an image of hoseok's pets flashes into his head, but he doesn't dwell on it — not tonight. he steps into the living room to turn on his sound system, opens the music app on his phone, and spends the next three hours making a home for kokkili.

~

"is she ruling the house yet?" kihyun asks changkyun in the parking lot on tuesday morning. he had arrived as changkyun was pulling kokkili's new carrier out of his front seat and eagerly approached to help with saja.

"she abandoned me last night," changkyun replies, pouting. "i woke up and found her sleeping with stitch and tokki."

"sounds like you need a new cuddle buddy," kihyun quips. changkyun watches him wince after he says it. he continues before changkyun can offer a retort. "hey, kyun, i'm sorry. that was shitty of me, considering the hoseok situation."

changkyun sighs. "it's okay. you're not wrong."

"yeah, and i still think you should text him, but i wasn't thinking."

changkyun gives him a small smile — reassurance it's okay — and holds the door open. they enter the building, switch on their work modes, and the topic is dropped.

~

\----------  
to: newton - minhyuk (12:06)  
  
_this iguana made me think of you._

from: newton - minhyuk (12:07)  
_i'm sorry_  
_i bet you thought that was an insult but_  
_that might be the sweetest thing anyone has ever said to me_  
_look how handsome he is_  
_(♡ >ω< ♡)_

to: newton - minhyuk (12:08)  
_…_  
_anyway_  
_i'm trying to get changkyun to reach out._  
_are you sure about this? because if you're just playing some game, i'll drive out there and make you wish you were never born._

from: newton - minhyuk (12:09)  
_(ง •̀_•́)ง_  
_let's go baby_  
_and yeah i'm sure_  
_i swear on that sexy iguana's life_  
\----------

~

changkyun spent the morning floating — reviewing treatment plans and charts and a few x-rays. around ten, wheein sent him an email letting him know a shelter offered to take responsibility for the stray, so he and kihyun finally ran labs and got x-rays of the dog's leg to confirm his limp is just a sprain.

they lost a patient, too, and by the time lunch rolls around, changkyun's brain feels a little fried.

kihyun returns from his walk with saja — "just need to clear my head," he had told changkyun — and unclips her leash. he sits across from changkyun in their break room and folds his hands on the table.

"what would you say if hoseok called you, right now, and asked you out?" he says, apropos of nothing, and changkyun almost chokes.

"hyung, please," he whines when he's finally able to speak again.

"i've just been thinking," kihyun says dejectedly. "people have long-distance relationships all the time. some fall in love before they've even properly met. it's only two hours, kyun."

"not today," changkyun sighs, and locks eyes with his friend. "i love you, but not today."

~

wednesday comes and changkyun brings kihyun fancy coffee and pastries from the café across town.

after spending the previous night watching kokkili explore her cat trees and thinking about everything that's happened in the last five days, he decided kihyun is right: he should just ask hoseok why he left. and maybe on a date.

eventually.

when he figures out how to ask without seeming like a crazy person.

kihyun's face lights up when he sees the logo on the coffee cup.

"yesterday sucked," changkyun admits, holding the cup and bag out between them. "i'm going to ask him why he ditched."

kihyun nods, taking the breakfast from him, and changkyun knows they're okay.

~

in the afternoon, wheein calls the extension that rings in the back room and requests changkyun's presence in reception. "a man from cl animal league is here to pick up the stray. he wants to go over the chart with someone," she explains.

changkyun asks her to send him to exam room three, and promises he'll be there shortly. he pulls up the dog's chart at a workstation and scans it quickly to refresh his memory.

the dog's ears perk up when changkyun approaches. "you get to get out of here and find a home, buddy," he tells him as he opens the cage and reaches inside. with the dog in his arms, he bumps the side door open with his hip, and walks down the hall to exam room three. he pushes the handle down with his elbow and steps inside.

the waiting man stands to greet him, and changkyun is immediately impressed by his height — easily five or six centimeters taller than himself. he's lean, with black skinny jeans accentuating his long legs and an oversized cardigan doing nothing to hide his broad shoulders. his hair is a bit longer than changkyun's, and seems like it was intentionally styled to look like the mess it is. his features are striking, and changkyun is shocked he works in a veterinary-adjacent field and not the entertainment industry.

"hey, my name is im changkyun and i'm one of the doctors here," he introduces himself as he places the dog on the exam table. "thank you for taking this guy in."

"chae hyungwon," the man says, bowing. "thank you for meeting with me. we like to review an animal's medical chart with someone before we take them from clinics, just to be sure we understand their history." he smiles sweetly. "hopefully it's not too much trouble."

"not at all," changkyun assures him. "he came this weekend. we think he's maybe two years old. the person that dropped him off claimed he was a stray that had been hanging around their house. they noticed him not using his leg back here," changkyun points to the dog's splinted rear right leg, "but couldn't afford to treat and keep him."

hyungwon listens attentively, lips pursed, but frowns at changkyun's last sentence and places a large, slender hand on the dog's head. the dog licks his palm and the corners of the man's mouth turn up.

"he was stabilized on sunday," changkyun continues. "when we found out we had secured your shelter to cover treatment yesterday, we ran routine labs and i x-rayed the injured leg and foot. everything came back clean, and multiple people reviewed the images without finding any fractures. we'll give you copies of all of that, of course, and the full chart with exam notes."

hyungwon reaches into his pocket and pulls out a business card. "if you could send everything to this email address, that would be great." he passes the card to changkyun.

"sure, we can do that," he replies, palming the card without looking at it. "do you have any questions?"

the man thinks for a moment. "does he have a name?"

"no, they didn't give him one," changkyun answers. "and we don't like to name our temporary holds, we figure that's better left to the shelters adopting them out. anything else?"

"no," hyungwon says, smiling at him again. "thank you for your time, and for taking care of this sweet boy. i'm sure we'll be able to find him a home."

changkyun watches as hyungwon pushes his sleeves up to his elbows and picks up the dog, arms cradling its chest and bottom. he’s surprised at how little effort it seems to require, given the man's overall build; the dog is medium-sized, about twenty kilograms, but it's almost comical how small he looks against hyungwon's chest.

changkyun opens the door leading to the reception area. hyungwon nods his head slightly in thanks before strolling away. changkyun hears him speak gently to the dog as they cross to the front door and leave. when they’re gone, he turns towards the desk.

"hey, wheein," he calls, looking at the card hyungwon handed him. "can you email the entire chart to this—" changkyun stops dead in his tracks when he sees the physical address on the card.

"changkyun?" wheein's voice cuts in.

he clears his throat and resumes walking. "sorry, can you send everything to this email address? labs, imaging, all the exam notes." he places the card on the desk and she pulls it towards herself with a manicured finger.

"sure. are you okay?" she asks, obviously concerned.

"i'm going to step outside for some air," changkyun says. "in case kihyun is looking for me. thanks, wheein."

~

outside, changkyun takes his phone out, opens his messages, and sends one before he can second guess himself.

\----------  
to: lee hoseok (15:26)  
_so we had someone drop off an injured stray over the weekend_  
\----------

he gets a read receipt and reply almost immediately. he sits on a secluded bench behind the building, near their dog walk path.

\----------  
from: lee hoseok (15:26)  
_oh?_

to: lee hoseok (15:27)  
_someone from a shelter just came to pick him up and pay for his treatment._  
_the shelter is in your town._

from: lee hoseok (15:28)  
_small world._

to: lee hoseok (15:28)  
_yeah._  
\----------

changkyun has no idea why his tear ducts choose now to act up, but he blinks and a few roll down his cheeks, falling onto his thighs.

\----------  
to: lee hoseok (15:30)  
_why did you just… leave?_  
_did i do something wrong?_

from: lee hoseok (15:31)  
_oh, changkyun, no._  
_i… it was my fault._

to: lee hoseok (15:31)  
_okay, i guess. thanks for clearing that up._

from: lee hoseok (15:32)  
_i meant what i said. it was so wonderful to meet you._  
_if you lived here…_  
_but you deserve better than my clingy ass._  
\----------

changkyun closes his messages, locks his phone, and pockets it. he takes a few deep breaths, wipes his eyes with the back of his hand, and heads back inside to find saja.

  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> istg things are going to get better soon changkyun i am so sorry. >.< this chapter was going to be longer, but this felt like a natural place to end so i went with it. i also did… very little editing, so pls forgive me if anything sounds weird or i used a word five times in one paragraph.
> 
> anyway if you need some fluff while wonkyun are a mess, i wrote [kihyuk getting together about six months from now](https://archiveofourown.org/works/20661425) because i was blocked on this chapter, so there’s that.
> 
> umm... stan mamamoo? oh yeah, i didn't explicitly mention it anywhere because i don't think it's realistic to the fact that these characters are in their very late 20's, but kihyun is bi. so is minhyuk. because there isn’t enough bi male representation where they exhibit actual attraction to women in m/m fic imo, and bi!kihyuk opens so many bickering doors.
> 
> editing to add [ref board for this chapter](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/EFC67v-XYAAGfZ2.png)! thanks for reading come yell at me on [twt](http://twitter.com/fromzerohs/) or don’t idk much love.


	4. elephants grieve

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> fallout. or: changkyun is still emo, hoseok is dumb, minhyuk is angry, and kihyun is exhausted.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hello i am kihyun: forever tired.  
1\. this is sloppy in some places and i'm not super proud of it but i just. don't want to deal with editing it.  
2\. i have four people who basically aren't talking to each other in this chapter, so pov switching is a little wild.  
3\. so much texting that i dropped the italics for it bc it got annoying to read, but they're still separated by the lines of hyphens.

kihyun is restocking surgical supplies ahead of the night shift, headphones in and music on, when a tap on his shoulder almost gives him a heart attack. he spins, still clutching a handful of ivs, and finds changkyun. he holds his head high, but he grips the ends of his sleeves in his hands and his eyes are pink.

"oh, changkyunnie," kihyun exhales, pulling out and palming an earbud. he drops the ivs back in their box and opens his arms.

the last time kihyun saw changkyun this visibly _sad_ was a few years ago when saja had a run-in with a car and they weren’t sure if she’d make it out of surgery. at the time, he channeled it into making sure kihyun was in the operating room, even though he himself couldn’t be. this changkyun is just aimlessly upset.

changkyun shuffles closer and lets himself be hugged. "saja wasn't in her bed," he mumbles into kihyun's shoulder.

"what happened?"

"i texted him. he said i deserve better than his clingy ass, whatever that means." changkyun sniffles and pulls away. "like he has any right to tell me what i deserve."

kihyun hums. "yeah, that’s a shitty thing to do." he thinks back to what minhyuk has told him about hoseok, and things just aren’t adding up. "is that all he said?"

"he said if i lived there…"

"if you lived there what?"

"just that. and then i deserve better than his clingy ass." changkyun sniffles again, dropping his chin back on kihyun’s shoulder. kihyun just holds him, trying to figure out where things went wrong in the conversation between the two.

changkyun only needs a minute before he straightens, loosening his grip on kihyun's top. they work side by side to restock the surgical area, at a leisurely pace, running down the clock until their night shift replacements arrive.

kihyun takes covert glances at his friend as they work, worried. he looks battered, just on the edge of breaking. there are no more tears, but his mouth wobbles every now and then, and his hands still while he bites his lip, until he remembers what he's doing and gets back to it.

rinse, repeat.

kihyun's phone burns a hole in his pocket; he's going to kill minhyuk.

eventually their night shift replacements show up, saja trotting into the treatment area behind woong. she speeds up slightly when she sees changkyun, closing the distance between them and sitting at his side. kihyun makes small talk on their behalf, allowing changkyun to take comfort from his dog instead of worrying about being social. if woong notices anything is amiss, he doesn't show it.

"do you want me to come over?" kihyun asks in the parking lot. he slips kokkili's carrier into the front seat of changkyun's car while changkyun lets saja in the back.

changkyun closes the door and nods, almost imperceptibly, but kihyun catches it anyway and follows him to his house.

~

after their last patient for the day has left, minhyuk rounds the corner into the back room and finds hoseok staring at the wall. he’s turning his phone over in his hands and doesn’t notice minhyuk is there until he speaks. "i need to get to the university early to stop by the library, so i'm going to go."

"hm?" hoseok breaks eye contact with the wall and turns to him. "yeah, that's fine."

"are you okay?" minhyuk squints, analyzing his friend's face.

"of course. go, go, go." he shoos minhyuk away, laughing, but it sounds hollow.

minhyuk is ninety-eight percent sure something is up, and almost positive if something _is_ up it’s about changkyun given the phone fiddling, but he also really needs to leave, so he busies himself with gathering his belongings.

he has avoided bringing up changkyun, only because he promised he wouldn’t nag. hoseok had been pouty at the beginning of the week — prompting minhyuk to text kihyun — but seemed okay the last couple of days. even now, when minhyuk sneaks a glance at him, he’s working on their last patient’s chart, seemingly normal.

it’s been hell. he understands that hoseok has reservations about relationships, especially ones involving distance, but minhyuk can feel the loneliness radiating off of him some days. all he wants is for hoseok to be happy. preferably with a really adorable, extremely intelligent veterinarian who has too many dogs and saves kittens abandoned in bushes.

because they would be happy, minhyuk can tell. certainly happier than he would be with any of the men he's dated in the past who could only talk about their exercise routines. or the awful finance guy.

but it’s only been a few days, and he won’t let himself say anything until hoseok comes to him.

"okay," minhyuk announces, zipping his hoodie and pulling his bag strap over his head. "i’ll see you tomorrow."

~

changkyun pads into his kitchen, kokkili in his arms, while kihyun is making them dinner. the dogs follow behind him like ducklings, and kihyun quickly opens his camera and takes a picture.

"it smells good," changkyun mumbles. "thanks, hyung."

he looks tired, kihyun thinks — emotionally drained in a way that makes the body feel heavier than it is, usually reserved for long days in the operating room or double shifts, not a fairly mundane day like today. he’s changed into sweatpants and a red hoodie with "san francisco" across the front — an item kihyun knows for a fact he’s had since he was still in undergraduate school, before they’d even met. comfortable, familiar clothes.

he pulls a food scale from a cabinet and puts it down next to kihyun's cutting board, then turns it on and places kokkili on it.

kihyun presses his nails into his palm. "do you have to do that right here?"

changkyun shrugs. "i forgot to weigh her today."

"but the—" kihyun starts, then sighs. "did she gain any weight?" he asks instead, flipping the meat and vegetables cooking on the grill plate next to him.

"a little bit." changkyun picks kokkili up again and turns the scale off before putting it near the sink to be washed. "she’ll be able to climb all the way to the top of those cat trees in no time." he reaches towards a piece of asparagus on the grill and kihyun swats his hand away.

"five minutes," he chastises.

changkyun sighs, leaning his hip against the counter.

"do you want to talk about it?" kihyun asks.

"not really," he replies, standing, and kihyun lets out another sigh of his own.

changkyun moves around the kitchen with the kitten in silence instead, pulling pet bowls and food from the cabinet and fridge. he does it mostly with one hand, and kihyun is impressed by how easy he makes it look. he puts kokkili on the counter only once to scoop food out of a can for her; kihyun inwardly cringes and makes a mental note to wipe the area down twice when he's cleaning up.

when all the dog bowls have been placed in their respective corners, he sits at the table with kokkili in his lap and lets her eat from the bowl carefully balanced on his knees, stroking her back with a steady hand.

his attention to her reminds kihyun so much of the changkyun that walked into the clinic all those years ago — a reserved but eager vet med student, absorbing as much information as he could at all times with laser focus — and he feels something tighten in his chest.

three thoughts flicker across his consciousness in quick succession: nostalgia is a funny thing; hoseok is an idiot; yell at minhyuk.

he buries them all and plates their food instead.

~

thursday morning brings a cold snap not uncommon even for late spring, but minhyuk's apartment doesn't heat very efficiently, so he wakes early. he uses the extra time to take a longer shower than usual, and drives a bit out of his way to his favorite coffee place.

he feels good when he gets to work. little things can be nice mood boosters. he folds himself into his chair behind the desk and pulls out his phone to scroll through twitter while he drinks his coffee.

instead, there's kihyun, who must've texted him after he left the café.

\----------  
from: yoo kihyun (06:55)  
our friends are dumbasses and i kind of want to shove my foot down your throat for dragging me into this

to: yoo kihyun (07:04)  
kinky

from: yoo kihyun (07:04)  
i'm serious.  
changkyun would've been fine if i hadn't tried to push him.  
he would’ve forgotten about it.  
he called in sick today, minhyuk.  
he never calls in sick.

to: yoo kihyun (07:06)  
please calm down  
spamming is my thing you're stressing me out

from: yoo kihyun (07:07)  
calm down haha you said you were sure, and now i have a broken best friend.

to: yoo kihyun (07:08)  
yes please calm down i’m only on my first cup of coffee  
and you're not the only one with a broken best friend  
i thought we covered that

from: yoo kihyun (07:09)  
"you deserve better than my clingy ass"? who says that?

to: yoo kihyun (07:10)  
wait wait wait  
i’m sorry he said something stupid again but  
consider what it’s like to be me for a second  
because what the fuck?  
he didn't even tell me they talked?  
it was yesterday, wasn't it?  
i knew he seemed off

from: yoo kihyun (07:12)  
...  
yeah, yesterday afternoon  
changkyun asked him why he left and he allegedly said "if you lived here" then the clingy thing.  
\----------

minhyuk lets out a frustrated growl into the empty office. _why_ is his friend so stupid.

\----------  
from: yoo kihyun (07:14)  
look, i'm sorry. i shouldn't blame you.  
it's just been a long week.

to: yoo kihyun (07:16)  
  
this kind of long week?

from: yoo kihyun (07:17)  
oh my god my eyes  
but yes that's a fair representation of me at this point  
\----------

minhyuk realizes he's grinning only when a laugh bubbles out of him. it's like some eerie, out-of-body experience where he feels that his cheeks hurt so his brain shows him what he must've looked like for the last two minutes: knees to his chest on the chair with his head ducked and beaming at his phone for no apparent reason, like girls on campus when their idols breathe.

\----------  
to: yoo kihyun (07:19)  
i still need to deal with a few things before hoseok comes in, so i'm afk for a bit  
but i'll talk to him  
try to get him to apologize and own up to the real reason at least

from: yoo kihyun (07:20)  
thanks. good luck i guess.  
\----------

minhyuk finishes off his coffee and sneaks next door for another one. when he gets back, he buckles down for twenty minutes and at least gets their charts for today's patients in order.

hoseok stumbles in ten minutes before their first appointment, as usual. he flashes minhyuk a smile, which kind of pisses him off, so he gets up and follows hoseok into the back.

maybe it's time to stop waiting for hoseok to bring it up.

"why are you so happy this morning?"

"i have a date this weekend," hoseok says, opening the fridge and sliding his lunch inside.

minhyuk does a double take. "you have a what?"

"i know it’s been a while for you," he taunts, "but a date is when two people get together—"

minhyuk breaks. "you tell changkyun he deserves better than you and pick up a guy at the gym the next day?"

"how do you know that?" hoseok asks, narrowing his eyes.

"oh, for fuck’s sake." minhyuk throws up his hands and slaps them back down to his sides, too angry about the situation to care that he’s been caught. "i’ve been talking to kihyun."

"about me," hoseok replies, measured and careful.

"about how you and changkyun are perfect for each other and clearly both interested but apparently stupider than i thought, amongst other things."

hoseok scoffs. "that’s a new level of meddling, even for you."

"maybe if you’d fucking talk to me, i wouldn’t have to meddle!" minhyuk’s patience is wearing thin. "why didn’t you tell me he texted you? i asked you if you were okay!"

"you were on your way out the door, minhyuk," hoseok raises his voice just a notch, but remains calm compared to minhyuk’s current state and it only makes him angrier. "what the fuck did you want me to say?"

"you could’ve called last night!"

"and said what?" hoseok snorts. "oh, minhyukkie, i screwed up again, no one will ever love me," he mocks.

"yes, if that’s how you felt!" minhyuk yells, and in the back of his mind he realizes hoseok deserves a medal for not resorting to decking him in the face and putting him on the floor. "i'm your _best friend_."

hoseok snorts again, shaking his head. "get off your high horse, you just admitted to scheming behind my back."

"he’s so into you!" minhyuk changes tactic. "you decided to throw any possibility of even a friendship in the trash because of one fucking guy who couldn’t keep his dick in his pants when you lived an hour apart! that was _awful_ for you, i get it, but people are my _thing_, hyung, and this one is _good_."

hoseok clenches and unclenches his jaw and fists a few times, running his tongue against the back of his teeth before speaking.

"we can’t do this right now, min."

he's right; their first appointment will be there any minute and their day is booked solid.

"fuck. _fuck_!" minhyuk stomps his heel into the floor. "fine. but consider that maybe changkyun deserves the truth, not you being a fucking martyr," he spits, turning away. "i’ll be back in a minute."

minhyuk goes outside and squats against the side of the building, away from the windows and parking lot. he lets his head fall between his knees and breathes deeply, shaking out his hands, trying to discharge the tension in his body.

this isn’t their first fight. it’s nowhere near their worst — that honor goes to the one time hoseok did put him on the floor. but it certainly is one for the history books.

minhyuk forces an exhale, cheeks puffed, and stands to go back inside. his phone pings in his pocket and he pulls it out while he’s walking.

\----------  
from: yoo kihyun (08:01)  
look what i just found  


to: yoo kihyun (08:02)  
o((*^▽^*))o  
yoo kihyun  
your timing is impeccable  
thank you for your service

from: yoo kihyun (08:02)  
everything okay?

to: yoo kihyun (08:03)  
no, but it will be  
i'll fill you in later g2g  
\----------

~

"uncle kihyun worries too much, kokkili," changkyun speaks softly, looking down to the floor at the kitten who sits with him in the bathroom. "i’m perfectly fine."

she meows in response, the sound almost drowned out by that of a car going by the open window.

"i’ve wanted to do this for a while," he answers. "it has nothing to do with him." he turns his head and checks the mirror, then pokes at a section of hair with his gloved fingertips.

kokkili gets up and walks out.

changkyun sighs. she either thinks he’s full of shit or she just can’t stand the smell of chemicals anymore.

he called in sick today. youngmin owed him a favor anyway, but was happier than expected to cover changkyun’s shift; something about saving for a ring. regardless, he just needs a day to himself to shake off the rejection. the bleach tingling on his scalp is helping, a bit.

after taking the dogs on a shortened run, he went out to pick up a late breakfast. the beauty supply store was just sitting there, asking to be visited. he hasn’t been blond in forever.

satisfied his hair is covered, he pulls off his gloves, turning them inside out and dropping them in the sink to clean up later. he sets the timer on his phone for thirty minutes, pushes his shorts off his hips, and climbs into the bathtub.

he plays a mindless game on his phone while he waits for the bleach to do its thing, relishing in the comfort of the hot water on his muscles.

when the timer on his phone goes off, he reluctantly gets up and checks his reflection in the mirror again. the bleach has worked fairly well, but he doesn't dare leave it on any longer. he steps into the shower and washes the mixture out with a moisturizing shampoo.

hair clean, he exits and pulls a towel around his waist before inspecting his hair in the mirror one last time. it's not perfect, but it still counts as blond, and he's relatively pleased with how it turned out.

kokkili has returned, followed by tokki and stitch, and the three sit in the doorway staring at him while he squeezes droplets of water from his hair with a towel. 

"what does the panel of judges think?" changkyun asks, turning to face the trio. "and where is your sister?" he wonders, suspicious of her whereabouts.

he drapes the towel around his neck and moves to leave the bathroom, carefully herding the animals out of the way with clicks of his tongue.

~

kihyun doesn’t _dislike_ youngmin, but all he wants to do in the operating room today is talk about woong with heart-eyes evident over the top of his mask, and kihyun isn’t in the mood.

youngmin asks for a new blade, and kihyun opens the package for him, then goes back to tuning him out.

changkyun is clearly avoiding him. and minhyuk… well. he's still waiting on minhyuk to tell him what happened with hoseok. kihyun assumes, at least, that something happened, given the replies earlier when he sent the iguana.

it's been a really long, weird week.

an alarm on the monitoring equipment beeps, and youngmin's hands still. kihyun presses a few buttons to silence the alarm and adjust the settings.

"sorry, everything is fine," he says.

youngmin nods at him and goes back to work.

kihyun makes an effort to focus entirely on what's happening in front of him, but not before wondering if minhyuk is okay.

_that's normal, right?_ he thinks. he's a friend, kind of. granted, he doesn't even know what minhyuk looks like, but they text a lot, about changkyun and hoseok but also dumb, pointless things like random animals they see or shitposts minhyuk finds on twitter or tumblr. he seems intense, but kihyun thinks maybe there's a certain calmness to him, too. he would ask changkyun, but admitting he's been talking to minhyuk opens more than one can of worms, which neither of them are ready to deal with.

youngmin clears his throat and asks for an extra pair of hands, dragging kihyun out of his thoughts for the remainder of the afternoon.

~

it's after four o'clock before minhyuk is able to send their last patient home, and he sags into his chair when they finally leave, unwilling to move a muscle. at least his class tonight is a short one.

hoseok has barely spoken to him all day, resorting to leaving scribbled messages in charts and filling out orders for lab work on his own. it would've been a disaster if they didn't know each other so well, but they do; it wasn't problematic for their productivity, just odd.

the first time minhyuk hears his voice in hours is when he comes strolling out of the back, ready to leave. "i’m taking off, but you can lock up early. see you tomorrow." he’s at the door by the time he finishes, leaving no room for minhyuk to stop him.

he sighs, and goes to the back room to collect a cold pack and the lab work for pickup. he brings everything to the front, where he scribbles a note apologizing for the early closure. he tapes the note to the door and deposits the lab work in the pickup box before going back inside to grab his things from under the desk. he flips the light switch, locks the door, and climbs into his car to head to the university.

~

the first thing kihyun does when he wakes on friday morning is check in with changkyun, who answers him immediately.

\----------  
to: changkyun (06:03)  
feeling better?

from: changkyun (06:03)  
a bit.

to: changkyun (06:04)  
good. i wouldn't be able to handle another day of youngmin gushing about woong's eyes.

from: changkyun (06:04)  
they're cute. :(  
don't be jealous, hyung. you'll find someone someday.

to: changkyun (06:05)  
i practically raised you i can’t believe this disrespect  
see you in a bit  
\----------

at least changkyun is feeling well enough to mock him. that’s an improvement.

he drags himself out of bed and into his kitchen to make coffee and breakfast. he checks his email while waiting for the electric kettle to heat, and reviews more prominent news headlines while waiting for the coffee to steep. his morning routine is down to a science, really, which is fine with him.

he falls down a research hole about polar bears while eating — though he quickly wishes he hadn’t, because the current plight of polar bears is extremely depressing — but gets himself ready and out of his apartment within an hour.

changkyun’s car is in the parking lot when he gets to work. kihyun walks into the building as youngmin and woong are walking out, woong allowing a tired youngmin to cling to him. working a double shift, barely sleeping, and coming back in for another night shift is terrible, kihyun knows. he holds the door for them and woong whispers a "thank you" as they pass. kihyun watches them make their way to one car, apparently planning to leave youngmin’s here until later.

kihyun isn’t jealous, not really. his career keeps him busy, he has changkyun and other friends he sees less often, and sometimes he goes on dates for fun. he wouldn’t turn down something like his colleagues appear to have if it fell in his lap, but would anyone?

"good morning, kihyun-ssi," wheein greets, holding kokkili against her chest.

"morning," he answers cheerfully. "is saja back there with you, too?"

"she's still following changkyun around. his hair looks nice, don't you think?"

"his hair?" kihyun wrinkles his brow, confused.

"you haven't seen it," wheein frowns slightly.

"not yet," he confirms. "please call if she gets to be too much for you," he offers, gesturing towards the kitten.

"of course," wheein agrees.

"time to catch up with changkyun," he says, tapping his knuckles on the desk.

in the treatment area, he scans the room and recognizes changkyun's frame sitting at a workstation, saja beside him. what he doesn't recognize is the blond hair on the back of his head.

"hey," kihyun calls, approaching him.

"good morning, hyung," changkyun drawls, turning in his chair. "what do you think?"

"are we doing this now?"

"doing what?" he asks, feigning ignorance.

kihyun pitches his voice low. "changkyun."

"well, i like it."

"i never said i didn’t like it, but clearly you’re not okay."

"i’m fine, ki," he says, turning back to the computer in front of him, trying to wiggle out of the conversation.

kihyun doesn’t know what to do anymore. he never asked to be in the middle of this and it’s all so fucking _stupid_. "i’ve never seen you as upset over a guy as you were after you talked to him the other day," he says, holding up a finger. "you take a day off and bleach your hair," he adds, holding up two more. "and then try to tell me you’re fine," he finishes, holding up a fourth finger. "you see why this is hard to believe, right?"

"look, i can’t do anything about it. i thought— it doesn’t matter what i thought. he made it clear he’s not interested."

"what if he _is_."

changkyun squints at him. "what do you know and how?"

kihyun curses under his breath. "minhyuk," he replies.

changkyun thinks for a beat before realization dawns on his face. "his tech?"

"he’s very eager to see you break whatever feeble wall hoseok is building," kihyun confesses, and he can see the dots begin to connect in changkyun’s head. "i’m sorry i didn’t tell you. everything has been so messy since you came back, i didn’t know how."

"so you’ve been manipulating me instead, at the suggestion of someone you barely know?"

kihyun sighs. "i would prefer to think the situation is more nuanced than that, but that’s the main takeaway, isn’t it?"

changkyun cracks a smile, and it throws kihyun off. he expected more anger.

"you’d like him, he’s very pretty. how did you even—" the phone rings, interrupting him. he picks up and listens for a few seconds before saying "okay" and hanging up. "cat fell three stories out of a tree and is alert but not moving," he explains, standing to usher saja into her usual cage. "wheein said jimin is napping in the lounge downstairs if we need hands."

"i’ll go get him and you go get the cat?" kihyun suggests, and changkyun nods.

~

the cat, miraculously, ends up being completely fine. kihyun and jimin take x-rays and nothing is broken. within a couple hours, the cat is up and moving around in his treatment cage like nothing ever happened. changkyun speaks with the owner and they agree to hold him overnight for observation, but they don’t expect any complications.

the afternoon brings them an ill snake, a dog exhibiting an allergic reaction to a bee sting, a cat with a urinary blockage, a dog that ate chocolate, and a belatedly-noticed bite wound on a cat’s paw that takes kihyun a full half hour to debride properly.

he’s exhausted by the time five o’clock rolls around, and he can tell changkyun feels the same.

"i forgive you," changkyun tells him in the parking lot. "i understand why you did it, but you should talk to him about things that aren’t my relationship with hoseok."

"i have," kihyun says, and changkyun looks surprised. "nothing important, and we haven’t even talked about you guys that much. he wouldn’t tell me specifics, just that hoseok is good at sticking his foot in his mouth and that i should try to convince you to give him a shot."

"do you still think i should?"

"i don’t know," kihyun answers truthfully.

"yeah," changkyun agrees, "me neither, but i need to get these guys home," he says, meaning saja and kokkili. "i think i deserve to see the texts, though. come over tomorrow?"

"lunch? i’ll cook."

"sounds good, hyung."

~

minhyuk is in his default position for ten o'clock at night — cross-legged on a stool at his kitchen island, bent over notes he took earlier in class and trying to decipher his own chicken scratch — when he comes across a little iguana doodle in the margins. he sighs and fishes around under his books for his phone.

\----------  
to: yoo kihyun (22:03)  
hey ヽ(･∀･)ﾉ  
are you busy

from: yoo kihyun (22:04)  
just reading  
how are things with hoseok?

to: yoo kihyun (22:04)  
(´-﹏-`；)  
not fantastic, but he'll come around.  
had a big fight yesterday morning  
he's not really talking to me  
which is fair  
i shouldn't have gotten you involved in this thing with him and changkyun

from: yoo kihyun (22:06)  
changkyun dyed his hair. it might be better if we just let them be idiots who missed their chance and hope the universe gives them another one.

to: yoo kihyun (22:06)  
what color?

from: yoo kihyun (22:06)  
blond

to: yoo kihyun (22:07)  
(๑°o°๑)  
what a thief

from: yoo kihyun (22:07)  
?

to: yoo kihyun (22:07)  
obviously he got the idea from me.  
too bad it could never look as good on him.  
and you might be right.  
chances are they'll meet again at some conference.

from: yoo kihyun (22:09)  
i hope things get better for you soon. we should all get a drink if you're ever in seoul.

to: yoo kihyun (22:09)  
changkyun too?

from: yoo kihyun (22:10)  
who else would i be talking about?

to: yoo kihyun (22:10)  
wait  
omg  
∑(ﾟﾛﾟ〃)  
is this goodbye  
are you trying to get rid of me

from: yoo kihyun (22:11)  
no?  
but i can't keep messing with changkyun's head.

to: yoo kihyun (22:12)  
that's fair  
\----------

minhyuk watches the … appear and disappear more erratically than it usually does when kihyun is typing, impatiently biting a knuckle.

\----------  
from: yoo kihyun (22:15)  
it's getting late. good night, minhyuk.

to: yoo kihyun (22:15)  
oh shit you're right  
(´〜｀*) zzz  
\----------

minhyuk locks his phone and goes back to his notes.

~

hoseok ends his saturday morning workout on the treadmill. he pushes himself harder than usual, but the burn in his thighs isn't unpleasant.

he's slowed down to a lighter jog and is wiping sweat off his forehead with his towel when his date for tonight slips into his line of sight, smiling brightly.

"hey, hyung. tonight, right?" the man says, voice high and laced with saccharine sweetness.

hoseok plasters a smile on his face. "tonight. can't wait," he lies.

"save some energy for me," the guy croons with a wink, and hoseok decides he'll need to figure out how to back out later, because he has no patience for this today. or maybe ever again.

he turns off the treadmill and steps down, gathering his towel and phone from where they rest on the machine. "i have to get going," he says, "but i'll see you."

hoseok makes his way to his gym bag, grabs it, and quickly retreats to the showers. he washes up as fast as he can and gets dressed.

~

minhyuk is where he always is when hoseok gets to work: behind the desk, knees to his chest. after two days of near silence, minhyuk no longer tries to engage him, seemingly content to wait him out. it makes him feel like shit, but they're in some kind of stalemate now, and hoseok wants to win.

they go through a few appointments on autopilot, barely exchanging words, until two o'clock.

hoseok is straightening magazines on the table in the waiting area — partially out of necessity, partially out of a desire to see if minhyuk will speak to him — when a man, who appears much younger than them both, enters with a cat carrier. he moves his sunglasses to the top of his head once inside and turns back to the door, peering into the parking lot. after a moment, the door opens again and hyunwoo strolls in with a second carrier.

"hey, guys!" hyunwoo launches into a conversation before hoseok can deduce why he's here. "doc, this is the kid i told you about when you came out to deliver little hoseok, do you remember?"

"i remember telling you not to name the foal after me."

"must not have heard you," hyunwoo says dismissively, and hoseok knows he's lying. "too late now."

"lee jooheon?" minhyuk pipes up from the other side of the room, getting things back on track.

"that's me," says the guy with the sunglasses.

minhyuk stands, smiling, and approaches hyunwoo. "i can take the carrier if you want to catch up for a few minutes." 

"you can take the carrier, but i'm going to run a couple errands and come back," he says, passing it to minhyuk. "i just offered to give him and his kittens a ride so i could stop by and say hi."

there is a flurry of conversation, but it's not long before minhyuk leads jooheon away into an exam room, hyunwoo leaves, and hoseok is left standing alone in the waiting area wondering what just happened.

"did hyunwoo say kittens?" he asks the empty room, and proceeds to have a medium-sized crisis because _kokkili, changkyun, fucking minhyuk was right and not talking to him is dumb_.

in the back room, hoseok sighs heavily. he takes his phone out and sends a message to the gym guy canceling their date, making it clear he's not interested in rescheduling.

minhyuk comes out of the room, and hoseok nearly pounces on him, but it's not the right time. he silently hands hoseok the chart, taking a moment to look at his face as if he's reading his emotions. knowing minhyuk, that's probably exactly what he's doing.

"he's nice," minhyuk says, heading to the fridge to draw up vaccines while hoseok flips through the paperwork. his voice is even and controlled and so unlike minhyuk that it makes his heart hurt. "excited about his new kids."

hoseok enters the room, and the man beams at him from the floor where he's trying to corral a pair of grey kittens. his brain supplies him with the unhelpful observation that this man's dimples might be deeper than changkyun's.

"they love to explore, sorry," he explains, picking up one in each hand. "hyunwoo-hyung has told me about you. it's nice to finally put a face to the name."

"how are you finding the town?" hoseok asks, taking one of the kittens and beginning to examine her, starting with her head.

"that's gucci," the man notes, and hoseok nods. "the town is nice. i still go into seoul for business sometimes, but i've enjoyed the change of scenery. i can't believe hyunwoo-hyung has a whole farm."

hoseok laughs. "he loves that farm more than anything but i still don't know how he does it alone."

"love makes the impossible possible," jooheon states, and hoseok can feel the conviction in his words, like it's a gospel truth in which he has unwavering faith.

he takes a moment to listen to gucci's heart and lungs, both of which sound great. he tells jooheon as much before trading kittens with him. the second kitten — "yoshi," jooheon says — squirms more than the first, but everything sounds okay. he puts his stethoscope back around his neck and finishes looking her over, ending with her teeth.

"they're both healthy, heart and lungs sound good. they look like they're about four months old. i assume they'll be indoor cats?"

"yes, definitely," jooheon agrees. 

minhyuk knocks, reentering the room with their vaccines. jooheon looks horrified.

"the shelter you got them from is one of the better ones in the area, so this is the last booster they'll need," hoseok explains. "you can step out if you'd like to."

"no, no, i'll stay."

they get the kittens vaccinated in less than a minute, half of which is spent trying to catch yoshi when she hops off the table like an acrobat. when they're done, minhyuk exits again, smiling only in jooheon's direction.

hoseok answers a couple of new pet owner questions while helping secure the kittens in their carriers. they meow for the first time since coming in, objecting to being contained, and jooheon frowns, bending to look in the carriers and talk to them. it's very sweet and reminds hoseok of kokkili again and he kind of wants to climb in a hole.

they make their way to the front and hoseok spots hyunwoo's truck outside. knowing minhyuk can handle everything at this point, he thanks jooheon for coming in and goes to lock himself in the bathroom.

he splashes water on his face and thinks for only a moment before half-drying his hands and removing his phone from his pocket.

\----------  
to: im changkyun (14:32)  
a friend of a friend brought in new kittens today.

from: im changkyun (14:33)  
okay?

to: im changkyun (14:33)  
is kokkili well?

from: im changkyun (14:34)  
she's fine  
what do you want, hoseok?  
you can't just text me out of nowhere

to: im changkyun (14:35)  
i owe you an apology.  
more than one, probably, but i'm sorry.  
i want to explain, if you still want to listen.

from: im changkyun (14:37)  
call me  
\----------

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> happy birthday jooheon i guess. i planned on having him in this chapter for weeks and lo and behold i finished it on his birthday.  
1\. if anyone knows how i can leash kihyuk pls let me know they don't listen to me?  
2\. i absolutely guarantee that things are mostly better now with wonkyun but also this is kind of another cliffhanger oops.  
3\. foaling season mentions jooheon, though not by name. he's a music nerd/pd who moved to town recently and met hyunwoo at the farmer's market.  
4\. seriously how do i leash kihyuk. bueller?  
5\. idk how uwungpaca got here but no regrets  
6\. my previous cat is the dumbass that fell out of a tree. he was totally fine. it was a $1000 vet bill anyway.
> 
> [twt](http://twitter.com/fromzerohs/). [references](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/EGPZ5ndX0AYhr9m.png). >.<


	5. elephants are herbivores

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _"is it crazy? sinking energy into someone who doesn't even live around here?" changkyun wonders._
> 
> _kihyun shrugs. he’s wondered the same thing, and he doesn't have an answer._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this chapter spans almost an entire week and i did something a little different with it; there are a lot of texts. timestamps are important. heavy wonkyun, mostly changkyun's pov, but there are some kihyuk gems in here too. days are marked when they only consist of text messages to keep everything straight. please enjoy this mess.
> 
> omg i forgot: there are maybe princess bride spoilers? but not like... super huge ones idk has anyone not seen the princess bride? if you haven't, you should. that's your homework, kids.

_"i think i deserve to see the texts, though. come over tomorrow?"_

_"lunch? i’ll cook."_

_"sounds good, hyung."_

~

the truth is, cooking a big lunch on a weekend and leaving his dongsaeng with an excess of food for the week has become as ingrained in kihyun’s routine as his morning breakfast. even when changkyun goes away, he comes home to a fridge full of food, because kihyun can’t help himself. the only question is usually which day the feast happens, but the events of the past week have made saturday the clear choice this time.

kihyun cooked while changkyun played with kokkili on the kitchen floor. they talked about a case at work, had a mild argument about video game lore that prompted changkyun to spend five minutes reading a long passage off the game developer’s website, and kihyun shared some of the depressing facts he’d learned about polar bears earlier in the week.

after stuffing themselves, kihyun handed over his phone, and changkyun has been scrolling through his texts with minhyuk while kihyun packs leftovers. kihyun has glanced nervously at him every fifteen seconds or so, waiting for a reaction, but changkyun remains stoic until he finishes reading and places the phone on the table.

"they weren't as bad as i expected them to be. why didn't you just tell me you were talking to him?"

kihyun shrugs. "i didn’t think you’d take it well, and i can’t even explain why i went along with it to myself. he’s so annoying."

"nah," changkyun says, shaking his head. "i think he’s over caffeinated ninety percent of the time, but he seems like a good guy to have in your corner."

"are you saying i’m not a good guy to have in your corner?" kihyun jokes, because this is getting too close to potential feelings he’s unwilling to think about.

"yes, that’s obviously what i meant, hyung." changkyun rolls his eyes, but the edges of his mouth lift. "you’re a terrible friend."

changkyun’s phone buzzes on the table, effectively killing the conversation.

"a friend of a friend brought in new kittens today," he reads, and kihyun furrows his brow in confusion. "hoseok," changkyun clarifies.

"oh."

"i…" changkyun starts, but trails off, occupied with typing a reply.

kihyun collects their dishes and moves to the sink to start cleaning up, because he doesn’t know what else to do. changkyun has seen everything in the texts, now. he knows minhyuk said hoseok is an idiot and has some unidentified baggage. kihyun doesn’t need to offer an opinion unless he asks for it.

a few minutes later, changkyun speaks again. "he wants to explain. for real, this time."

"that’s good, right?" kihyun asks.

changkyun is quiet for a moment before answering. "i don’t know, ki."

kihyun takes in the worried lip between changkyun’s teeth and his furrowed brow. changkyun doesn’t like not _knowing_ things; it’s why he’s enamoured with science. "go talk to him," kihyun advises. "i’ll finish up here."

changkyun types a response before unfolding himself from his chair, phone in his hand. he makes his way around the island and attaches himself to kihyun’s back, arms around his middle and chin hooked over his shoulder — a rare but genuine display of affection that kihyun has learned to live with.

kihyun flicks water at him anyway.

~

changkyun’s phone rings as he’s situating himself on the couch with tokki and stitch. his stomach lurches, even though he knew the call was coming and has no real reason to be nervous.

he takes a deep breath and hits the answer button. "hey."

"hi. is this an okay time?" hoseok asks.

changkyun nods before realizing he actually has to speak. "yeah, it’s fine."

"i had— i’m sorry," he sighs, and changkyun waits. "in your hotel room, i was trying to figure out why i recognized you. my brain short-circuited and made me say i had to leave instead, and i couldn’t exactly take it back."

hoseok’s voice is more comforting than changkyun expected. he pulls the pillow out from behind his back and hugs it to his chest. "you recognized me?"

"vaguely. minhyuk said it was a conference a few years ago."

"he knew who i was right away, i think."

"probably." hoseok forces an exhale before continuing. "so then you asked why, and… my relationship history isn’t exactly stellar. i date guys i have nothing in common with, who only seem to care about my appearance. a while ago, i dated someone i actually liked. he lived an hour away, and he cheated on me."

changkyun realizes he’s been involuntarily biting his tongue, but beneath the anger on hoseok’s behalf, suddenly everything about how guarded he has been makes perfect sense, and a part of him wishes he could reach through the phone and hold hoseok’s hand.

"that must have sucked," he offers, trying to impart sympathy in his tone.

"he said i needed too much attention, and repeating it now i realize how ridiculous that is because—"

"he’s the one that couldn’t keep his dick in his pants," changkyun interrupts. he knows he should let hoseok talk, but he’s _mad_ and he can’t help it.

hoseok sighs. "yeah."

"sorry, i have no patience for cheaters. no one deserves that."

"it’s okay, you’re not wrong."

"you know i was never, like, asking you to marry me. or even date me, right?" changkyun asks, cautious.

"changkyun, i’ve thought about that night a lot. if i hadn’t left, there’s a good chance i would’ve ended up kissing you," hoseok tells him. he pauses for a beat, then turns on some level of charm changkyun wasn’t aware he could access before asking a question. "are you saying you wouldn’t have kissed me back?" there’s a hint of teasing in his tone, and a little whining, and changkyun is almost light-headed at the implication of it all.

"you haven't earned the answer to that," changkyun replies, a flawless retort that he doesn’t think betrays how difficult breathing is at the idea of kissing hoseok in that hotel room a week ago, but hoseok hums like he knows exactly what changkyun is going through and is proud of himself for causing it.

"regardless, i’m sorry. again. minhyuk told me i was being a martyr and he was right. i have my own issues but i tried to tell you what you deserve. that wasn’t fair. you deserve…" he doesn't finish.

changkyun smiles to himself. "apology accepted."

"okay, that's… okay."

changkyun doesn't know where to go from here, but he doesn't want to hang up.

"you said if i lived there… what would you want?" he ventures.

"to sneak away from work for lunch dates and get to know you," hoseok tells him immediately, like he's thought about this too, and changkyun's chest tightens.

"that would be nice."

"hey, i have to go, got a walk in. i…"

"text me. if you want."

"i will," hoseok affirms. changkyun can hear the smile in his voice.

"okay. goodbye, hoseok."

"bye."

there’s a click, and the call disconnects.

~

\----------  
from: newton - minhyuk (14:39)  
IS HE  
ARE THEY  
KIHYUN  
HELP  
ヾ(｡ꏿ﹏ꏿ)ﾉﾞ

to: newton - minhyuk (14:39)  
on the phone with changkyun? having a conversation like adults? finally? yes.

from: newton - minhyuk (14:40)  
HOW ARE YOU CALM  
THIS IS HUGE  
MY SHIP  
IT SAILS

to: newton - minhyuk (14:40)  
your ship?

from: newton - minhyuk (14:40)  
YOU KNOW WHAT  
I REFUSE TO ACCEPT YOU DON’T KNOW WHAT SHIPS ARE  
BC THAT WILL ONLY DEPRESS ME

to: newton - minhyuk (14:41)  


from: newton - minhyuk (14:41)  
(ノ#-_-)ノ

to: newton - minhyuk (14:42)  
you’re so dramatic oh my god  
i know what ships are, min.

from: newton - minhyuk (14:42)  
… min. hm.  
wait  
you’re changkyunnie’s hyung

to: newton - minhyuk (14:43)  
sorry?  
um. 29.

from: newton - minhyuk (14:43)  
no way  
when's your birthday

to: newton - minhyuk (14:43)  
november

from: newton - minhyuk (14:44)  
…

to: newton - minhyuk (14:44)  
you need to use words

from: newton - minhyuk (14:44)  
november what

to: newton - minhyuk (14:45)  
has anyone ever told you you’re exhausting  
22nd

from: newton - minhyuk (14:45)  
lkdjfalkdf  
november 3rd  
i can’t believe  
you’re just a baby  
but you can call me min anyway  
(´꒳`∗)

to: newton - minhyuk (14:46)  
wow.  
just wow.  
\----------

~

changkyun shuffles back into the kitchen with a small smile on his face.

"you look happier," kihyun says.

"is it crazy? sinking energy into someone who doesn't even live around here?" changkyun wonders.

kihyun shrugs. he’s wondered the same thing, and he doesn't have an answer.

~

sunday at home is a lazy day. the dogs get their run and breakfast, and changkyun showers, but he exists only in sweatpants and a hoodie and rarely leaves the couch. he wraps himself in blankets and dogs pile on him and it's a true day of rest.

after binging three episodes of a show kihyun recommended, he decides to raid his fridge for lunch. within ten minutes, he has a small plate of reheated food and is back on the couch.

he's just hit play on the next episode when his phone buzzes. he pauses netflix and opens his messages.

\----------  
from: lee hoseok (12:54)  
i have tteokbokki  
[image attached]

to: lee hoseok (12:54)  
:o  
from the same place?

from: lee hoseok (12:54)  
yep.

to: lee hoseok (12:55)  
>.<  
i don't usually like it but that was so good.

from: lee hoseok (12:55)  
how does one not like tteokbokki

to: lee hoseok (12:56)  
spicy food is meh.  
i grew up overseas, remember?

from: lee hoseok (12:56)  
aha  
right

to: lee hoseok (12:57)  
i have kihyun's fried chicken  
[image attached]  
and four beggars at my feet  
[image attached]

from: lee hoseok (12:58)  
omg even kokkili!

to: lee hoseok (12:58)  
even kokkili

from: lee hoseok (12:59)  
how is she, really?

to: lee hoseok (13:00)  
she’s good. she gains weight every day. she loves cuddling with the boys and is obsessed with my tattoo for some reason. she only likes that side of my chest.

from: lee hoseok (13:00)  
:o tattoo

to: lee hoseok (13:01)  
oh  
… yeah

from: lee hoseok (13:01)  
cute >.<

to: lee hoseok (13:01)  
>.<  
it’s just a paw print.  
a rainbow one.  
my graduation gift to myself for making it through vet school and gay life in general you know

from: lee hoseok (13:03)  
i bet it’s beautiful.  
school really was something. i don’t miss it.

to: lee hoseok (13:04)  
i loved it  
i worked in the library and used to read other class’s textbooks for fun

from: lee hoseok (13:04)  
!!!  
of course you did  
but i worked in the library too  
i haven’t thought about it in years  
the number of girls who would corner me when i was reshelving books and confess was… high.

to: lee hoseok (13:06)  
of course it was >.<

from: lee hoseok (13:08)  
minhyuk is bugging me about going to ikea with him  
if i don't agree he'll hound me all week  
enjoy the rest of your lunch

to: lee hoseok (13:09)  
thanks  
have a good afternoon  
tell minhyuk i said hi  
don't get lost in ikea ^^  
\----------

changkyun presses play. he finishes the chicken and makes it through another two episodes. he’s considering dozing off when his phone buzzes again, and he reaches to grab it off the table immediately.

\----------  
from: lee hoseok (15:00)  
[image attached]  
we successfully escaped  
minhyuk says hello  
he's making me put together a bookshelf by myself by claiming he has to study  
it's not even my bookshelf

to: lee hoseok (15:01)  
aww poor hoseokkie :(

from: lee hoseok (15:01)  
that’s what minhyuk said  
wow  
i thought you’d be on my side

to: lee hoseok (15:02)  
it’s just a bookshelf  
what else do you have all those muscles for if not putting together flat-packed furniture with bad tools

from: lee hoseok (15:03)  
:< i can’t believe this

to: lee hoseok (15:03)  
sorry but it’s the truth  
\----------

~ monday ~

\----------  
to: lee hoseok (12:05)  
[image attached]  
sick bun :(  
she’ll be okay but kihyun has been babying her all morning and won’t eat with me. :(

from: lee hoseok (12:06)  
a precious loaf!  
a mean kihyun!  
he’s been texting minhyuk all morning btw. maybe also babying the bun, but.

to: lee hoseok (12:07)  
:o  
what a traitor

from: lee hoseok (12:08)  
so what's lunch

to: lee hoseok (12:09)  
[image attached]  
ki made them

from: lee hoseok (12:09)  
he likes to cook, huh?

to: lee hoseok (12:10)  
more than i do, at least.  
he uses my kitchen, i get delicious food. it works well.

from: lee hoseok (12:10)  
how did you even meet? work?

to: lee hoseok (12:10)  
yeah, work.  
short version is i walked into my emergency internship and he was the only guy there at the time. then he helped me through a career crisis and saja saved his life and we've stuck together ever since.  
and in the interest of full disclosure, we messed around once. we were drunk. we didn't click. so you have nothing to worry about.  
you know, if… i don't know.  
sorry, tmi.

from: lee hoseok (12:13)  
oh, no.  
it's… i get it.  
i appreciate you being upfront about it.

to: lee hoseok (12:14)  
fuck  
dog vs car  
brb

from: lee hoseok (12:14)  
:( good luck  
\----------

\----------  
to: lee hoseok (19:45)  
do they make massive bottles of wine  
i need one

from: lee hoseok (19:46)  
don't think so  
sorry

to: lee hoseok (19:46)  
dog will make it with much less tail and permanent plates and screws holding his leg together  
we spent hours in the operating room  
i'm home and exhausted but i wanted to update you

from: lee hoseok (19:47)  
you could've waited until tomorrow  
get some sleep

to: lee hoseok (19:47)  
didn't wanna wait

from: lee hoseok (19:48)  
changkyun, go to bed.

to: lee hoseok (19:48)  
mean :(

from: lee hoseok (19:48)  
good night, changkyun.

to: lee hoseok (19:48)  
i hope you had a good day  
good night  
\----------

~ tuesday ~

\----------  
to: lee hoseok (12:40)  
hi please distract me i’m stressed

from: lee hoseok (12:41)  
  
happy tuesday

to: lee hoseok (12:41)  
i said distract not try to kill  
i’m eating i could have choked

from: lee hoseok (12:42)  
no choking allowed!  
[image attached]  
my favorite cat was in this morning  
he gives hugs

to: lee hoseok (12:44)  
oh my god

from: lee hoseok (12:44)  
later lunch today?

to: lee hoseok (12:44)  
late and short, we’ve been swamped :(

from: lee hoseok (12:45)  
i’m sorry :(

to: lee hoseok (12:45)  
shit happens  
wish i had more time  
thanks for distracting me

from: lee hoseok (12:46)  
hang in there  
\----------

\----------  
from: lee hoseok (14:57)  
i know you’re busy but i’m bored so here’s a story  
once upon a time there was a brave and handsome knight who loved all~~~ the animals in his kingdom  
and one day this knight left his castle and went on an adventure  
he met up with a sad squirrel who wanted nothing more than to live in a castle  
and so he took the squirrel home and they lived happily ever after  
he was supposed to meet people on his journey but honestly i got tired of being creative

from: lee hoseok (15:04)  
i hope you’re… i know you’re fine, because you’re incredible at what you do, but. i hope today has gotten a bit easier.

to: lee hoseok (18:12)  
you're a massive dork  
but you made me smile, thanks

from: lee hoseok (18:12)  
i haven't been called a dork in years

to: lee hoseok (18:13)  
it's a compliment, really

from: lee hoseok (18:15)  
do you want to talk about what happened at work?

to: lee hoseok (18:16)  
not now.  
feed me bunnies please?

from: lee hoseok (18:18)  
bunnies incoming  
[image attached]  
[image attached]  
[image attached]  
[image attached]  
[video attached]  


to: lee hoseok (18:21)  
see? those glasses. dork.

from: lee hoseok (18:22)  
high fashion

to: lee hoseok (18:22)  
i have so much to teach you

from: lee hoseok (18:22)  
minhyuk tried  
he deemed me unfixable, but you're welcome to take a shot

to: lee hoseok (18:23)  
that seems unnecessarily harsh

from: lee hoseok (18:23)  
he’s known me for a long time

to: lee hoseok (18:24)  
hey thank you for the story and the bunnies  
[image attached]  
doggos for you

from: lee hoseok (18:25)  
do they always eat in different corners like that

to: lee hoseok (18:26)  
yeah, have to separate them.  
i’m going to shower and go to bed early. this week has been hell and it’s not even half over.

from: lee hoseok (18:28)  
good night. i hope tomorrow is better. :(  
\----------

~

wednesday is not better. wednesday is, somehow, worse than monday and tuesday combined.

there is heavy rain, and a local veterinarian closes for the day and refers walk-ins to their clinic instead. they’re so busy that youngmin and woong stay through lunch to help out. no one has any time to eat.

changkyun notices kihyun sneaking to the bathroom more than usual in the morning, keeping his phone close, but doesn't have a second alone with him until they're sedating a cat for emergency surgery in the afternoon.

"how's minhyuk?" he asks while gathering sterile gloves and surgical tools, purposely waiting until kihyun has hit the vein he was aiming for before asking a question he assumes will be jarring.

"having an easier day than us," kihyun replies, pulling a strip of tape free from the edge of the table and wrapping the new catheter to the cat's leg. his movements are practiced and swift.

changkyun sighs and excuses himself to prepare for surgery, where kihyun joins him a few minutes later, leaving jimin and their part-time doctor to handle any new patients.

~

\----------  
to: lee hoseok (20:38)  
hey  
are you busy

from: lee hoseok (20:38)  
hey stranger  
just reading. what's up?

to: lee hoseok (20:39)  
today sucked  
lost a patient and it was so busy i didn't get lunch  
can i call you?

from: lee hoseok (20:39)  
oh. :(  
if you want?  
\----------

changkyun taps the call button and lifts his phone to his ear.

"hey," hoseok’s voice comes through the speaker, and changkyun feels like he can breathe a little easier. "you okay?"

"ready for the weekend."

"yeah, i bet. have you had dinner?"

"yeah, we're all fed in the im household."

"good."

"what are you reading?"

"the princess bride."

"i read that in english a decade ago. i didn't know there was a translation."

"i stole it from minhyuk's collection on sunday."

"have you seen the movie?"

"of course."

changkyun sighs. he's emotionally worn out, which isn't uncommon by this point in between weekends away. he's pretty terrible company, and not sure why he wanted to call hoseok in the first place.

"you should read to me," changkyun suggests.

"how old are you?"

"twenty-seven going on six. your voice is nice to listen to and you butchered the story about the knight and the squirrel so you owe me."

hoseok laughs but agrees, and changkyun hears some shuffling as hoseok shifts his phone to a better position and flips through the pages. he pulls his blanket tighter around himself as hoseok starts reading, picking up sometime after buttercup's kidnapping but before she has realized inigo's true identity.

~

\----------  
from: lee hoseok (21:32)  
you talk in your sleep  
it's adorable  
sweet dreams  
\---------- 

~

\----------  
from: newton - minhyuk (21:49)  
kihyunnie  
(´๑•_•๑)

to: newton - minhyuk (21:50)  
what min

from: newton - minhyuk (21:51)  
tomorrow will be better  


to: newton - minhyuk (21:51)  
that's not an animal or a meme

from: newton - minhyuk (21:52)  
seemed like your day required more than porgs photoshopped into famous paintings

to: newton - minhyuk (21:52)  
you think you're better than porgs. unbelievable.

from: newton - minhyuk (21:52)  
yes

to: newton - minhyuk (21:53)  
i'm falling asleep  
but the blond does look better on you  
don't stay up too late. sleep is better for your memory than cramming all night.

from: newton - minhyuk (21:54)  
will go to sleep soon, promise  
good night  
\----------

~ thursday ~

\----------  
to: lee hoseok (12:00)  
sorry i fell asleep  
in my defense i did say i find your voice nice  
and it was a really long day

from: lee hoseok (12:03)  
it's okay  
it was cute  
you were babbling about what an asshole westley is

to: lee hoseok (12:04)  
i stand by everything i said, even though i don’t remember it.  
[image attached]

from: lee hoseok (12:05)  
japchae? kihyun again?

to: lee hoseok (12:05)  
yep. not kihyun, me.

from: lee hoseok (12:06)  
but you don’t like cooking

to: lee hoseok (12:06)  
doesn’t mean i can’t

from: lee hoseok (12:07)  
technically true  
i’m glad you have time to eat today

to: lee hoseok (12:07)  
me too. :)  
\----------

changkyun is pretty sure they’re talking about more than food. he’s spent the morning thinking about the upcoming weekend, and he wants to go see hoseok, but he’s not sure how to bring it up. they haven’t talked about their relationship, and changkyun is afraid to spook him despite all the indications that hoseok likes him. it's fast, but he has enough experience to know this is someone he doesn't want to let get away. he can only hope that despite his issues, hoseok feels the same way.

the door to the break room opens and kihyun walks in with a takeout bag. changkyun waves him over.

"you're smiling at your phone," kihyun observes.

"do you think i should go see him this weekend?"

"i assumed that was already your plan."

"i was considering staying closer to the city because of kokkili, and we hadn't even talked about if you were okay watching her, too, especially when she's still on a more frequent feeding schedule than the dogs."

kihyun shrugs. "i appreciate that, but like i said, i figured you'd head back there as soon as you could."

"you haven't actually answered my question."

kihyun rolls his eyes. "yes, changkyun, obviously i think you should go see him instead of wasting your time in some other place pining all weekend."

"we could bring everyone," changkyun suggests. "make it a trip to get the d."

kihyun sputters and coughs around the food in his mouth. changkyun calmly picks up more noodles with his chopsticks, puts them in his mouth, chews and swallows before kihyun has regained enough composure to speak.

"please never say that again."

"not ready to talk about minhyuk. noted. but can i have his number?"

~

\----------  
to: hoseok’s minhyuk (18:16)  
hey it’s changkyun  
ki gave me your number

from: hoseok’s minhyuk (18:19)  
CHANGKYUN  
HOW IS MY PRECIOUS GODDAUGHTER  
HOSEOK WON’T TELL ME SHIT  
i’m sorry i roped kihyun into going around behind your back btw  
:(  
sometimes i don’t think

to: hoseok’s minhyuk (18:20)  
we’ve moved on, it’s fine.  
she’s getting bigger every day  
[image attached]  
and i hate to say it but her name is perfect, so thank you.  
but i’m texting you because i’m thinking about coming back this weekend.

from: hoseok’s minhyuk (18:22)  
＼（＾▽＾）／

to: hoseok’s minhyuk (18:22)  
and i … okay, i take it that means you support that idea.

from: hoseok’s minhyuk (18:22)  
he can’t know any of this happened or he’ll murder me, but you want to surprise him?

to: hoseok’s minhyuk (18:23)  
kind of? i was thinking about bringing him lunch. >.<

from: hoseok’s minhyuk (18:23)  
(｡’▽’｡)♡  
oh my god that’s so cute  
we don’t have any appointments tomorrow afternoon.  
i have an exam and pushed everything to saturday instead, so it would be perfect.

to: hoseok’s minhyuk (18:24)  
okay.  
do you have any restaurant suggestions?

from: hoseok’s minhyuk (18:24)  
if you want to be a sentimental sap, i’ll send you the info of the one he ordered from when he went to your hotel.

to: hoseok’s minhyuk (18:25)  
that… sounds good.  
thanks.

from: hoseok’s minhyuk (18:25)  
you’re very welcome  
✧*｡٩(ˊᗜˋ*)و✧*｡  
\----------

~

kihyun picks up a shift on friday morning. after a mild amount of panic, changkyun finds a more pet-friendly hotel than his last one and decides to bring saja with him. kihyun will complain, but he doesn’t really want to wait, and it’s been a long time since he’s gone anywhere alone with his baby.

he moves kokkili to the bathroom with her litter box, where he previously laid out a fluffy bed of tokki’s, food, and water. he feels terrible about separating her from the boys, but she’s still a little too small to let roam freely when no one is home.

changkyun sends kihyun a text letting him know she's in the bathroom and that he's taking saja before saying goodbye to tokki and stitch. he carries his weekend bag, a cooler of food for saja, and a small bag of miscellaneous dog supplies to the car and gets everything arranged in the trunk before stepping back inside for his dog.

she looks back into the house for a moment, confused that the boys are being left behind. changkyun coaxes her out and into the car, snapping her harness into the doggy car seat.

she settles within a few minutes, and changkyun lets his mind wander as he drives, hoping he’s not making a huge mistake.

the drive is uneventful, and changkyun pulls up outside hoseok’s clinic just after noon, armed with a bag of food from the restaurant minhyuk sent him.

he turns to saja, who has stood up and is panting excitedly at the window. "hey, princess, are you ready to meet some new people?"

~

"changkyunnie!" minhyuk exclaims when changkyun opens the door, leaping up from his chair and hurrying around the desk. he looks changkyun over, taking in his new hair and oversized sweater. "oh my god, he's going to die."

"hey," changkyun smiles. "he’d better not. this is saja."

"ah, the rhodesian," minhyuk sighs wistfully, crouching in front of her and letting her sniff his hand. "she's _gorgeous_. kihyunnie was whining that he misses her already."

_kihyunnie?_ it's weird, changkyun thinks. everything about minhyuk and kihyun is weird, because he didn’t even have minhyuk's number until yesterday, and kihyun won’t talk about him, but they apparently have nicknames for each other.

"it’s been a long time since we’ve had a father-daughter trip, so he’ll have to deal with it."

minhyuk snorts, looking up at him. "oh, don’t worry, i told him he was being a baby."

"thanks, i guess. is he—" changkyun starts, only to be interrupted by hoseok’s voice echoing through the exam room next to them.

"minhyukkie?"

minhyuk jumps up and scurries to the door, standing between the exam room and changkyun, panic in his eyes for no apparent reason. he flails his arms for a second before getting a grip on himself, leaning against the door frame in what changkyun thinks is supposed to be a casual pose.

changkyun shakes his head.

hoseok emerges, side-stepping minhyuk and squinting at him. he’s wearing a short-sleeved, blue, patterned dress shirt with too many buttons undone and changkyun feels like his heart is too big for his ribcage.

"why are you blocking the—"

minhyuk interjects with a fake cough.

changkyun clears his throat, and hoseok turns, eyes going wide when he sees changkyun.

"i found a dog?" changkyun tries, suddenly nervous.

"you’re… here."

"i didn’t find a dog, she’s been mine for years."

"you dyed your hair."

"i brought lunch," changkyun follows hoseok’s nonsequitur with one of his own, holding up the bag in his hand. 

a high-pitched squeal brings them both back to reality: minhyuk, standing next to hoseok, clapping his hands together lightly.

changkyun gives him a curious look.

"sorry," he apologizes, hands up in surrender. "hyung, i need to go," he says, grabbing at the air between him and hoseok until his hand finally lands on an arm, and hoseok nods slowly. he leans in and whispers in hoseok’s ear for a moment before clapping him on the shoulder. 

hoseok's eyes never leave changkyun's face.

"changkyun, good to see you," minhyuk continues cheerfully. "we should go out this weekend if you have time. or breakfast on sunday? i'll text you."

"okay," changkyun agrees, but he's not sure what he's agreeing to; his eyes are stuck on hoseok's pants where they cling to his thighs.

minhyuk shuffles around in silence, collecting his things. changkyun takes a few steps into the room and hears keys jingle behind him, then the door opens and shuts. 

hoseok clears his throat. "what’s her name?" he asks.

"this is saja," changkyun says, setting the food down on the floor and squatting to put an arm around her where she sits at his side. "my precious, brilliant queen," he murmurs, kissing the top of her head.

"she’s pretty. rhodesians are difficult."

"they can be," he agrees, standing and unlocking her leash. "but she’s got a big heart. kihyun had to work this morning, so i brought her along." a small nod from changkyun lets her know she can explore the room, and she confidently makes her way to hoseok. changkyun follows, leaving only the length of the dog between them.

"you didn’t…" hoseok tries, but gets distracted by saja sniffing his boots.

"i would’ve," changkyun says, steady and firm.

hoseok looks up at him. he draws his eyebrows together and scrunches his nose in confusion, and it might be the cutest thing changkyun has ever seen.

"you would’ve what?"

"kissed you back."

hoseok forces an exhale through pursed lips and runs his hand through his hair.

"i’m sorry i didn’t ask if you wanted to see me," changkyun continues, trying to ignore the tingling in his fingertips begging him to touch the man in front of him. "i was afraid you’d get stuck in your head and say no."

"it’s okay." hoseok waves his hand dismissively. "you’re probably right."

"i can leave, if you want me to," changkyun offers, but he bends over to unclip saja’s leash from her harness and she trots off into the exam room behind them.

"what are we doing?" hoseok asks, breathless and hollow.

changkyun steps into his space slowly, like either of them would with a timid animal, waiting for him to back away, but he doesn’t.

"i like you, and i think you like me, too," changkyun says softly, eyes locked on hoseok’s. "we could see each other every weekend." changkyun licks his lips, watching hoseok’s eyes follow the movement. "i turn down dates pretty regularly. i’ve always been happy with what i have, but you… fucking hell."

"yeah," hoseok whispers. "fucking hell."

changkyun raises his hands, waiting again for hoseok to back away. he takes a tiny step forward instead, hanging his head between them. changkyun rests his forearms on his shoulders, the ends of his sleeves gathered in his palms behind hoseok's neck.

"did minhyuk dress you?" he jokes. "you look good."

hoseok looks up again, a small smile threatening to break through whatever internal panic he's experiencing, eyelashes moist. changkyun thinks he's beautiful.

"i told you, he gave up on me. but he might've bought this a while ago, i don't remember."

"cute."

changkyun splays his fingers out against hoseok's skin, barely hitting the hair at the nape of his neck. hoseok closes his eyes and practically purrs, and changkyun can't handle it. he leans forward, wrapping his arms tighter around hoseok's neck and softly kisses his nose, barely laughing when he pouts and attempts to chase changkyun's lips.

hoseok lets out a plaintive whine, encircling changkyun's waist with his arms and pulling him forward. changkyun kisses him, finally, and the tingling in his fingertips slowly spreads throughout his entire body.

hoseok's lips are soft and gentle and entirely at odds with the rest of him. he kneads his fingers into changkyun's back, breathing heavy through his nose, like he's fighting against something pulling him into a dangerous current.

clinging to hoseok as tightly as he can, changkyun allows himself to be pulled in, too.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hello i am SCREAMING. i hope you are also screaming. please feel free to scream in a comment bc they're really wonderful. >.< the only references this chapter truly needs: [here](https://twitter.com/fromzerohs/status/1185331954109038592).
> 
> 1\. i added a / tag for kihyuk because they will not listen, but as a reminder, the slow burn on them is very definitely real. if you read dreary mondays you know nothing is easy for them.  
2\. i think i've settled into a biweekly update schedule here? i'm not sure, but that's looking pretty likely.  
3\. [new year's day](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KkvTYrFIxNM) got me through brainstorming this chapter, and [call it what you want](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V54CEElTF_U) was on repeat at the end there. >.<  
4\. i scream a lot about spoilers and stuff on [twt](http://twitter.com/fromzerohs), but it's also just a good place to check if you want to know if i'm working on the next chapter or not.  
5\. used to have a cat patient at my old clinic that really did give hugs. he was the sweetest boy and i miss him. :(
> 
> thank you again for supporting this mess. good luck surviving the comeback, y'all. see you on the other side.


End file.
